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A case-control study is designed to investigate the relationship between exposure and outcome by comparing subjects with a specific condition (cases) to those without it (controls). The key characteristic of a case-control study is its retrospective nature, meaning it looks back in time to identify exposure to potential risk factors among individuals who already have the outcome of interest. By examining historical data, researchers can determine how many of the cases and controls were exposed to certain variables, allowing for an analysis of associations between those exposures and the condition being studied.

This study follows a direction from "present to past," as it starts with the current status of the participants (whether they have the condition or not) and then seeks to determine their past exposures. Unlike prospective studies, which look forward in time from a defined moment, case-control studies do not wait for outcomes to appear but instead assess past data. Thus, the option indicating present to past accurately captures the essence of the study's design and temporal flow.