How is evolutionary medicine related to Darwinian medicine?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Darwinian medicine and evolutionary medicine are nearly synonymous terms for the field of study that applies the principles of evolutionary biology to medicine and public health.1

While they are often used interchangeably, "evolutionary medicine" is considered a slightly less specific designation. Both terms describe the use of evolutionary frameworks to better understand, prevent, and treat human disease by examining the phylogeny of traits and their adaptive significance.1

It is important to note that these modern fields are distinct from "medical Darwinism," a term associated with late 19th- and early 20th-century concepts that do not align with current scientific practices. By applying natural selection and other evolutionary principles, both Darwinian and evolutionary medicine provide a foundational science for clinical research, helping to explain why the human body remains vulnerable to disease despite its complex design.1