Predisposing Factors and Underlying Mechanisms of Disease

Topic outline

• Mechanism of Disease - How to come from risk factors to basic concepts?

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  A disease is an abnormal physiological condition that affects part or all of an organism. It means that something has gone wrong with the normal body functions and/or processes. Diseases are linked with ‘symptoms’ and ‘signs’ – where a symptom is a manifestation of disease apparent to the patient himself, while a sign is a manifestation of disease that the physician perceives. The sign is objective evidence of disease; a symptom, subjective.

  To determine the use of medicines for the treatment of diseases (pharmacotherapy), four concepts are important:

  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis
  • Mechanism described at a physiological and a molecular level
  • Target responsible for the medicine’s action (in this context: organ, part, tissue that is to be affected by the medicine).

  These are described in more detail in the book below.

  • View

    Mechanisms of disease Book
  • Announcements Forum

• Health and Disease
  • View

    Risk Factors in Health and Disease Book
  • Mark as done

    Further Reading and References Page

• Special Populations

  This lesson will introduce briefly the process of medicines discovery and development, including in special populations.
  

  • View

    Medicines for Special Populations Page
  • Mark as done

    Studies in Support of Special Populations Book

• Assessment
  • Receive a grade Receive a passing grade

    Assessment Quiz

    To receive a certificate for this course, you must be enrolled in the course (click on 'Enrol me in this course' yellow button at the top right on the course page), then complete the assessment and obtain at least 70% of correct answers. You have 10 attempts in total. Good luck!