Jl. Fozard, CONTRIBUTIONS OF LONGITUDINAL-STUDIES TO EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DISEASE PREVENTION - AN OVERVIEW, Australian journal on ageing, 17(1), 1998, pp. 22-24
Longitudinal studies characterise changes with respect to initial leve
ls and rates of changes. They help to identify transitions between nor
mal ageing and disease; to identify persons at risk for age associated
diseases and to plan interventions. The future usefulness of longitud
inal studies will depend increasingly on the preservation of biologica
l specimens.