>Date:    Tue, 27 May 1997 14:38:48 -0400
>From:    "Susan D. Hamburger" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: diabetes survey

>        I agree with what Charles and Ida have written about the >validity of
>the survey regarding the incidence of diabetes in Parkinson's >families.
>There is a very strong selection bias present because those with diabetic
>relatives would be much more likely to respond (probably because they are
>more interested).  It's important to know what the rate of diabetes is in
>the general population and also to have a control group to see if the rate
>of diabetes is different in a non-Parkinson's group of subjects of similar
>
age, weight, and gender.
>        The right way to do it would be to take a (random) sample of those
>with Parkinson's Disease and a random sample of similarly matched non-PWP's
>and ask both groups if there is diabetes in their families.  Comparing that
>result might suggest that there is or is not a relationship between PD and
>diabetes. This is awfully hard to do, which is why survey's are usually done
>at research facilities, with money, manpower and expertise.  I think what we
>have might be 'interesting', but not scientifically valid.
>        Thanks for all your effort Ivan.  At least it kept you off the
>streets and out of trouble.

>        Susan Hamburger, cg for Stan 62/16


Susan's got it on the nose. However, we might still be able to
obtain some useful info.  It seems to me that our spouses would
make a pretty reasonable control group.  If we got counts of PWP
with blood relatives with diabetes and compared the counts obtained
for our spouses we should get a pretty reasonable picture.  Of course it would
take a much larger sample to get a statistically significant
result, but it would be a start- Ivan- perhaps you can poll your
100 respondants and get equivalent counts for their spouses.

Ron.



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