Epidemiologists use various metrics to measure the burden of chronic diseases:
1. Prevalence: The total number of cases of a disease in a given population at a specific time. High prevalence indicates a significant public health concern.
2. Incidence: The number of new cases that develop in a specific period. This helps identify emerging trends and the effectiveness of prevention strategies.
3. Mortality Rates: The number of deaths caused by chronic diseases. This is often expressed as age-standardized rates to account for differences in age distribution across populations.
4. Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs): A measure that combines years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability. It provides a comprehensive view of the overall burden of disease.
