What general factors affect the expression of disease in a particular person?
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• What general factors affect the expression of disease in a particular person?
• What kinds of information about disease can be gained through understanding concepts of epidemiology?
Pathophysiology derives from the intersection of two older, related disciplines: pathology (from pathos, suffering) and physiology (from physis, nature). Pathology is the study and diagnosis of disease through examination of organs, tissues, cells, and bodily fluids. Physiology is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. Together, as pathophysiology, the term refers to the study of abnormalities in physiologic functioning of living beings.
Pathophysiology seeks to reveal physiologic responses of an organism to disruptions in its internal or external environment. Because humans exhibit considerable diversity, healthy structure and function are not precisely the same in any two individuals. However, discovering the common and expected responses to abnormalities in physiologic func- tioning is useful, and it allows a general prediction of clinical progression, identification of possible causes, and selection of interventions that are
most likely to be helpful. Thus pathophysiology is studied in terms of common, or “classic,” presentations of disorders.
Historically, descriptions of diseases were based on observations of those individuals who attracted medical attention because they exhibited abnormal signs or complained of symptoms. Over time, cases with similar presentations were noted and treatments that had been successful before were used again. In some cases, similarities among individuals pointed to possible common causes. With the advent of more sophis- ticated measurements of physiologic and biochemical function, such as blood pressure measurements, blood chemistry values, x-ray images, and DNA analysis, the wide variability in the expression of diseases and disorders in the population became apparent, as did the opportunity to discover diseases at earlier stages, before they were clinically obvious. Screening programs that evaluated large segments of the population
Age Differences, 6 Gender Differences, 6 Situational Differences, 6 Time Variations, 6
Patterns of Disease in Populations, 6 Concepts of Epidemiology, 6
Endemic, Pandemic, and Epidemic Diseases, 7 Aggregate Factors, 7 Levels of Prevention, 9
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