Natural history of disease

The Natural history of disease is a term used in medicine and epidemiology to describe the progression of a disease process in an individual over time, in the absence of treatment.

Pronunciation

/ˈnætʃərəl ˈhɪstəri ɒv dɪˈziːz/

Etymology

The term "natural history" comes from the Latin natura meaning "birth, nature, quality," and historia meaning "history, account, tale, story". The term "disease" comes from the Old French desaise, meaning "lack, want; discomfort, distress; trouble, misfortune; disease, sickness".

Definition

The natural history of disease is the course a disease takes in individual people from its pathological onset ("inception") until its eventual resolution through complete recovery or death. The inception of a disease is not a firmly defined concept. The natural history of a disease is sometimes said to start at the moment of exposure to causal agents.

Stages

The natural history of disease is divided into stages, which include:

The stage of susceptibility: In this stage, the individual is at risk of developing the disease, but has not yet been exposed to the disease-causing factor.
The stage of pre-symptomatic disease: This stage follows exposure to the disease-causing factor, but before the onset of symptoms. During this stage, the disease may be detectable with screening tests.
The stage of clinical disease: This stage begins with the appearance of symptoms. The disease may be diagnosed and treated during this stage.
The stage of disability, recovery, or death: This is the final stage of the disease. The individual may recover, become disabled, or die.

Related Terms

Epidemiology: The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the control of health problems.
Pathology: The scientific study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences.
Screening (medicine): A strategy used in a population to identify an unrecognized disease in individuals without signs or symptoms.
Susceptibility (disambiguation): The lack of resistance to a disease or condition.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Natural history of disease
Wikipedia's article - Natural history of disease

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski

Natural history of disease