[Genetic epidemiology: an expanding scientific discipline]. / La epidemiología genética: disciplina científica en expansión.

Genetic epidemiology is a relatively new discipline that studies the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in the production of human diseases. Taking advantage of the genetic markers provided by molecular biological research, complex computerized algorithms, and large databases, the field of genetic epidemiology has undergone notable development in the past 10 years. This article describes the objectives and methodology of genetic epidemiology, using concrete examples from the recent scientific literature.