Risk predictor (risk marker)
n Risk predictor (risk marker)
– A characteristic associated with elevated risk of disease
(i.e., it predicts well)
– Not thought to be part of the causal chain (e.g., tooth loss
is a good predictor of future disease)
– Usually either a byproduct of the causal chain (usually
called a risk marker)
– Or some historical measure of the outcome, such as
number of missing teeth, or baseline caries
– Useful to identify who is at risk, but not useful in
identifying likely interventions
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