Absolute Risk Approach in Disease Control

• The absolute risk approach is a disease-control method based on the observation that proportional reduction in risk for given absolute reductionsin risk factors is independent of the level of the risk factor.

• The benefits of reducing such risk factors depend mainly on the absolute risk of disease, not on the pretreatment levels of specific risk factors.

• Under the absolute risk approach, the decision to treat elevated blood pressure or serum cholesterol depends on the estimated overall level of risk, rather than the level of any single risk factor.

• Implementing an absolute risk approach may imply substantial changes to public health strategies and to the circumstances in which allocation of resources for preventive medication is justifiable.

Explore the concept of the absolute risk approach in disease control and its implications for preventive medication and public health strategies. Understand how the decision to treat risk factors is based on overall risk estimation rather than individual risk levels.