Abstract
The usefulness of surveillance in relating chronic disease trends to recent changes in risk exposures is often questioned on the grounds that these trends respond slowly, reflecting long periods between aetiological exposures and clinical onset of disease. We challenge this preconception on the basis of a review of several important risk factors and diseases: alcohol and liver cirrhosis; tobacco and stroke, cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer; and oestrogens and endometrial cancer. Data from cohort, cross-sectional, and modelling studies demonstrate that the time between removal of exposures and the onset of decline in morbidity or mortality is not defined by the time between initial exposure and disease occurrence. Rather, the pattern of lifetime exposures (with recent exposures often having a dominant effect), the dynamics of the disease process, and the segment of the population with reduced exposures determine how soon the decline begins.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
