The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual and practical framewo
rk of the case-control design in medical research. To illustrate this
method, practical examples directed to clinicians and other health pro
fesionals interested in medical research are presented. The case-contr
ol method is very versatile and allows for multiple applications. Guid
elines for the selection of cases and controls, and some consideration
s on sample size are presented. ln the statistical analysis we use con
crete examples of how to estimate odds ratios, confidence intervals, a
nd methods to control for potential confounders, from stratified analy
sis to logistic regresion.