Prevalence of a disease

The positive relationship between income of those affected by a disease and the amount of research undertaken into pharmaceuticals for that disease has been empirically conhrmed in a variety of studies, including Lanjouw and MacLeod (2005) and Lichtenberg (2005a). The prevalence of a disease in some developing countries has often been attributed to poor food, water, and sanitation or access to treatment and may not reflect an absence of useful pharmaceuticals. In such cases it may be factors other than pharmaceutical innovation that need to be addressed. However, even if other solutions are possible, there may also be situations in which a pharmaceutical solution would be the most cost effective, if it were available. For example, it may... 

Morbidity. A disease condition or state, the incidence or prevalence of a disease or of all diseases in a population. 

What is the ratio between the estimated prevalence of a disease and the number of adequately diagnosed patients How many of the diagnosed patients are receiving adequate treatment ... 

Cross-sectional studies are those in which the prevalence of a disease in an exposed group is studied. 

An epidemic is an outbreak or occurrence of one specific disease from a single source in a group, population, community, or geographic area, in excess of the usual or expected level. An epidemic exists when new cases exceed the prevalence of a disease. Prevalence is... 

Note that P(D+) is often called the prevalence of the disease in a population. Its complement is P(,D-) = 1 - P(P>+). Prevalence of a disease is estimated through the use of epidemiologic studies and not clinical trials. Thus, to fully evaluate the utility of the new diagnostic test, we must have an estimate of the prevalence of the disease, the sensitivity of the test, and the specificity of the test. 

The accuracy of a diagnostic tool can vary with the prevalence of a disease or disorder. This may apply for the accuracy of both display methods as well. As a consequence a differentiation between high and low prevalence studies is made in this paragraph. 

Prevalence—The number of cases of a disease or condition in a population at one point in time. 

The pancreas is a small retroperitoneal organ located behind the stomach on the posterior abdominal wall.1,3 The pancreas has both exocrine and endocrine functions. The exact nationwide prevalence of all diseases of the pancreas has not been fully quantified however, DM, both types 1 and 2, affect nearly 21 million people in the United States alone. Some reasons for pancreas transplants include ... 

There is no doubt that the eating patterns and physical activity of the adult have a direct effect on the prevalence of nontransmittable chronic illnesses. In recent decades, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes, among others, has steadily increased, making these diseases the priority for health care systems in many countries, especially in developed countries. 

Between 5 and 24 new cases per 100,000 persons are reported each year (20.5 per 100,000 in the USA). The prevalence of the disease is 57-371 patients per 100,000 persons worldwide (300 per 100,000 for the USA and Canada). With the increasing age of the population, a four-fold increase in the prevalence of PD is expected over the next 20 years. The age of onset differs substantially between patients (average age of onset is 62 years). Young-onset patients commonly suffer from one of the genetic forms of the disease (see below). Males appear to be affected slightly more frequently than females. 

Measures of the public health importance of a disease include the absolute number of cases, the incidence rate, the prevalence (rate), the economic impact of the disease, and the prognosis and preventability of the disease.65 Contact dermatitis is the most common occupational and environmental skin disease. Epidemiologic data show that contact dermatitis comprises 90 to 95% of all occupational skin diseases. 

Lohi, S., Mustalahti, K., Kaukinen, K., Laurila, K., Collin, P., Rissanen, H., Lohi, O., Bravi, E., Gasparin, M., Reunanen, A., and Maki, M. (2007). Increasing prevalence of coeliac disease over time. Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 26,1217-1225. 

---