247 Virgin Olive Oil Benefits for generating hypotheses, although the grouped measurement of exposure and effect conveys a high risk for bias mainly due to the ecological fallacy. The term “ecological fallacy” means that risk-associations obtained among different populations at the grouplevel may not accurately reflect the true associations among individuals within those groups. Due to this, such studies are considered to have a low level of evidence and be inadequate to provide causal inferences. - meta-analysis Statistical analyses which integrate and combine the results of several previous independent studies. The unit of analysis is not the individual, but the different studies testing the same association. A meta-analysis can be conducted when several scientific studies have assessed the same hypothesis and the results have some degree of error or uncertainty (usually expressed as confidence intervals). Meta-analysis objectives are: 1) to evaluate the consistency (similarity or homogeneity) among the different studies; 2) to provide the point estimate of an unknown common truth by using quantitative methodology to combine results; and 3) more importantly, to evaluate the reasons for heterogeneity or dissimilarities among studies. EPIDEMIOLOGY (See EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY/IES) EPIGENETIC The term refers to epigenetics, the study of mechanisms that regulate gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms involve chemical marks on DNA that, as noted, do not change the sequence but do affect how it functions. These marks regulate gene expression, switching genes on or off. Epigenetic changes are triggered by external environmental factors, such as diet, stress, and overall lifestyle, among others. A well-known example of epigenetic change is that of monozygotic (identical) twins, who share the same DNA but may develop different personalities and, more importantly, different diseases over time due to exposure to different environmental influences. These epigenetic modifications can impact health and may also be inherited by offspring, meaning they affect not only those exposed but also future generations. The term epigenetics was first coined by Waddington in 1939. - epigenome The epigenome is the complete set of epigenetic marks on the DNA of a single cell. These marks vary between different cell types. The genome can be seen as the “hardware” (the structure), while the epigenome functions as the “software” (the regulation). EPIGENETICS (See EPIGENETIC) EPIGENOME (See EPIGENETIC) ERYTHRODIOL (See MINOR COMPOUNDS / Triterpenoids / Pentacyclic triterpenes)
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