Heart Disease
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Heart Disease
Introduction
Heart disease is a significant problem in terms of public health since it impacts the lives of millions of people all over the globe. It is the top cause of mortality in industrialized nations like the United States and other countries. It also contributes significantly to disability and a worse quality of life(World Health Organization, 2021). A cohort study or clinical trial study can be designed to investigate the underlying causes and effects of the disease to gain a better understanding of the relationship between heart disease and its impact on a particular population. That can get done to understand better the relationship between heart disease and its effect on a specific population. This paper will compare the characteristics of the cohort and clinical trial study designs, explain the choice of the study design for the topic, and discuss how subjects will be recruited, data and responses will get collected, and ethical guidelines for conducting a research study. It will also compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each study design. In addition, it will define the research's independent and dependent variables, choose a statistical measure to analyze the connection between the variables, explain the possibility of biases and confounding factors, and outline the limitations of the investigation.
Comparing Cohort and Clinical Trial Study Designs
Cohort studies and clinical trials are different study designs used to investigate the relationship between a specific disease or health-related behavior and its effect on a particular population. Both studies are typically conducted to gather evidence for scientific or medical claims. Cohort studies include studying groups of individuals over an extended period to discover the origin and impact of a certain illness or behavior (Wang & Kattan, 2020). The nature of these studies is often longitudinal, which indicates that the same group of individuals is studied for a long time to assess the impact of specific exposures on the health of those people. Studies that follow the same group of people through time are known as cohort research. These studies often study the links between lifestyle variables and the onset of various illnesses. They are also used to explore the impact of various therapies or interventions on a condition to treat better or prevent it.
On the other hand, clinical trials entail comparing two or more groups of individuals to identify the effects of a certain intervention or therapy. These comparisons are made in order to collect data. In trials like this, participants are often split into two groups: an intervention group given the therapy or intervention at hand and a control group given a placebo or nothing at all (National Institute on Aging, 2020; WHO, 2022). Clinical trials are often used to study the efficacy of various medications or therapies on a certain illness or condition. In addition, they are used in research concerning the viability and efficiency of several treatments.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Type of Study Design
Cohort studies have several advantages over clinical trials. They are relatively inexpensive, can be conducted over a long period, and are less prone to bias. Additionally, cohort studies can provide valuable information about the effects of certain exposures on health outcomes and the impact of certain treatments or interventions. However, cohort studies also have several weaknesses. They are prone to selection bias, as participants may self-select into the study. Additionally, it can be challenging to control for confounding variables, as the study is observational (Ramirez-Santana, 2018). Furthermore, cohort studies are only sometimes the best option when investigating the effects of certain treatments or interventions, as they are not designed to measure the impact of these interventions.
Clinical trials have several advantages over cohort studies. They are designed to measure the effects of certain treatments or interventions and can be used to control for confounding variables (National Institute on Aging, 2020; WHO, 2022). Additionally, clinical trials are less prone to bias and are more likely to provide reliable and valid results. However, clinical trials can also be expensive and time-consuming, making it difficult to control for confounding variables (Kostis & Dobrzynski, 2020). Additionally, clinical trials may be more prone to selection bias, as participants may be selected based on certain criteria.
Selected Topic and Study Design
The selected topic will investigate the relationship between heart disease and its effect on a specific population. In order to research this topic, a cohort study design was chosen. A cohort study is the best option for this topic, as it can provide valuable information about the effects of certain exposures, such as lifestyle factors, on the development of heart disease. Additionally, a cohort study can provide useful information about the impact of certain treatments or interventions on heart disease.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis for this study is that lifestyle factors and certain treatments or interventions can impact the development of heart disease.
The rationale for Study Design
A cohort study design was chosen for this topic, as it can provide valuable information about the effects of certain exposures, such as lifestyle factors, on the development of heart disease (Wang & Kattan, 2020). Additionally, a cohort study can provide valuable information about the effects of certain treatments or interventions on heart disease. A cohort study is less expensive and time-consuming than a clinical trial and less prone to bias.
Subject Recruitment and Data Collection
Subjects for this study will be recruited through various methods, including online ads, flyers, and word of mouth. Participants will be screened to ensure that they meet the criteria for the study, and informed consent will get obtained before participation.
Data and responses will get collected through various methods, including surveys, interviews, physical examinations, and laboratory tests (Wang & Kattan, 2020). All data will be collected following ethical guidelines and will be kept confidential.
Variables and Statistical Measures
The independent variable of this study is lifestyle factors, such as diet, physical activity, and smoking. The dependent variable is the development of heart disease (Wang & Kattan, 2020). The association between these variables will be investigated using a chi-square test.
Confounding Factors and Biases
Several potential confounding factors may affect the results of this study. These include age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and other lifestyle factors like alcohol and drug use. In order to control for these factors, the study will be stratified based on these variables (D’Onofrio et al., 2020). Additionally, the study will be designed to control for selection bias, as participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control group.
Study Limitations
There are several limitations to this study. First, it is limited to a single population, which may not be representative of the general population (Ramirez-Santana, 2018). Additionally, the results need to be more generalizable due to the limited sample size. Furthermore, the study is observational, which limits the ability to control for confounding variables and measure the effects of certain treatments or interventions. Finally, the study is limited to a single point in time, which may not be reflective of changes over time.
References
D’Onofrio, B. M., Sjölander, A., Lahey, B. B., Lichtenstein, P., & Öberg, A. S. (2020). Accounting for Confounding in Observational Studies. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 16(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045030
Kostis, J. B., & Dobrzynski, J. M. (2020). Limitations of Randomized Clinical Trials. The American Journal of Cardiology, 129, 109–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2020.05.011
National Institute on Aging. (2020, April 9). What Are Clinical Trials and Studies? National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-are-clinical-trials-and-studies
Ramirez-Santana, M. (2018). Limitations and Biases in Cohort Studies. In www.intechopen.com. IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/59393
Wang, X., & Kattan, M. W. (2020). Cohort Studies: Design, Analysis, and Reporting. CHEST, 158(1), S72–S78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.03.014
WHO. (2022). Clinical trials. Www.who.int. https://www.who.int/health-topics/clinical-trials
World Health Organization. (2021, June 11). Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs). Who. int; World Health Organization: WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)