Question

If X percent of stroke in a population is attributable to hypertension, and removing hypertension from the population would prevent this proportion of strokes, this scenario is an example of:

• A. Relative risk
• B. Attributable risk
• C. Population attributable risk
• D. Odds ratio

Hint:

Burden in the whole population removable by eliminating the exposure to think population-level attributable measure.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The key phrase is the proportion of disease in the entire population that disappears once the risk factor is removed.

Recall the family of attributable measures:
$$AR_{exposed} = I_{e} - I_{u}$$ measures excess risk confined to the exposed.
$$PAR = I_{population} - I_{u}$$ and the population attributable fraction $$PAF = \frac{I_{pop} - I_u}{I_{pop}}$$ gives the fraction of all cases in the community attributable to the exposure.

Since the question states that \(X\%\) of all strokes in the population would be cured by abolishing hypertension, we are describing the community-level fraction, i.e. the population attributable risk.

Relative risk $$RR = \frac{I_e}{I_u}$$ and the odds ratio only describe how strongly exposure and disease are linked; they cannot express a removable population burden. Attributable risk addresses only the exposed subgroup, so it is also incorrect.

\[\boxed{\text{Population attributable risk}}\]