Question

A group of patients are looked at with regard to a risk factor for heart disease. They are divided into those who have the risk factor and those who do not. These groups are then followed for a number of years to see who does and who does not develop heart disease. This is an example of a:

A. Cohort study
B. Case-control study
C. Clinical trial
D. Cross-sectional survey
E. Crossover study

Answer 1

The described scenario is an example of a cohort study, which is prospective and tracks subjects over time to study the development of a condition.

Step-by-step explanation:

A group of patients who are divided into those with and without a heart disease risk factor and then followed over time to see who develops heart disease is engaged in a cohort study. A cohort study is an observational study where a group of similar individuals (the cohort) are observed over a period of time to collect data prospectively. Such studies are valuable for identifying and establishing a sequence of disease progression and other conditions of interest.

Conversely, a case-control study is retrospective, involving subjects who retrospectively report behaviors or exposures that may be associated with the presence or absence of a trait or condition, which can introduce recall bias or inaccurate reporting.