Natural History Of Disease

 When evaluating the effectiveness of a drug in a clinical trial, it is important to consider the natural history of the disease. 

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✶N. gonorrhoeae infection

Frontiers | Human Immune Responses and the Natural History of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection (frontiersin.org)

✶Huntington disease

Figure 1. [Natural history of Huntington disease...]. - GeneReviews® - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

The natural history of a disease refers to the course that the disease takes in the absence of any treatment. 

✶Natural History of Disease Timeline:

Principles of Epidemiology | Lesson 1 - Section 9 (cdc.gov) (CDC  Principles of epidemiology, 2nd ed.)

This includes the progression of the disease, the symptoms that are experienced, and the outcomes that are typically seen. 

✶Figure 5_2_147978_1_En | Principles of Infectious Disease Epidemiology | SpringerLink

[S]ubclinical disease, extending from the time of exposure to onset of disease symptoms, [includes] the incubation period…and the latency period.

✶(1) (PDF) Two resource distribution strategies for dynamic mitigation of influenza pandemics (researchgate.net)

The latency period for leukemia to become evident among survivors of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima ranged from 2 to 12 years, peaking at 6–7 years.

✶(CDC  Table 1.7)

By understanding the natural history of a disease, researchers can better determine the impact that a treatment is having on the disease, and whether the treatment is having a beneficial effect. 

✶Application of Disease Etiology and Natural History to Prevention in Primary Health Care: A Discourse | Semantic Scholar

✶Challenges and opportunities for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of Chagas’ disease | Heart (bmj.com)

A cohort study is the best way to identify…natural history of a disease…However, this type of study is less useful for examination of rare events or those that take a long time to develop

✶Comparison of Prospective Natural History Study Designs
Cohort studies: marching towards outcomes - PubMed (nih.gov)

It is important to consider the natural history of a disease when designing a clinical trial, as this can help to ensure that the trial is adequately powered to detect any differences between the treatment and control groups.

✶How to Use Registries and Natural History Studies in Rare Diseases (premier-research.com)

✶White Paper: Natural History Studies in Rare Diseases and Genetic Biomarkers - Evidera

Ready for a quiz?

✎Principles of Epidemiology | Lesson 1 - Quiz| (cdc.gov)