Thus far in the Research Rudiments Series (I, II, III) I’ve covered the details, pro’s, and con’s of a few different types of study designs: rodent models, observational studies, and randomized-controlled trials (RCTs).
In this episode of the Talking Studies Series, I talk through Larsson and Colleagues’, “Mendelian randomization for cardiovascular diseases: principles and applications,” which breaks down another type of study design that I’ve recently heard referenced more in discussions on health and disease but that I think many people are unaware of: Mendelian Randomization studies.
Interestingly, this genetics-based type of study combines some of the pro’s of RCTs and observational studies, in that it offers some of the randomization and control of the former while also providing the large sample size and long study period of the latter.
In this way, it adds a unique perspective to research on health and disease in several different contexts—as I explain in the video.
Links from the video:
Main study discussed (https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/44/47/4913/7343270)
Explanation of Mendel’s Law’s
More On Mendel
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