Valoración geriátrica integral y modelos predictivos de salud en el anciano

Abstract

Population aging is one of the major health challenges of the 21st century. It is associated with an increase in multimorbidity, frailty, and disability. In this context, a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is the fundamental tool for the multidimensional evaluation of older adults, integrating the functional, mental, social, and nutritional domains. Its use allows for the early identification of deficits and potential strengths, guides individualized interventions, and improves relevant clinical outcomes, such as reducing dependence, institutionalization, and mortality.

This review updates the essential components of the CGA with a special emphasis on functional assessment and the detection of frailty, as well as the use of standardized scales in various clinical settings, including emergency departments and geriatric oncology. It also analyzes recent advances in predictive health models in geriatrics, ranging from classic indices based on the accumulation of deficits to new approaches supported by biological biomarkers, epigenetic clocks, digital technologies, big data, and artificial intelligence.

The integration of the CGA with validated predictive models offers an innovative framework for preventive, personalized, and person-centered geriatrics, facilitating clinical decision-making, advance care planning, and the optimization of healthcare resources in an increasingly aging population.