Geriatrics Overview - Concepedia

Principles

Definition

Geriatrics is a medical specialty and academic discipline focused on the comprehensive healthcare of older adults. It investigates the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of complex, age-related diseases and disabilities using a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to maintain health, functional capacity, and enhance quality of life for aging individuals.

Ontological type

Core Syndromes

Epidemiology

Assessment Tools

Key developments

Key Figures

Multi-Organ Aging Biology era

P Weidmann[1] of the University of California, Los Angeles[3] and the University of Southern California[4] contributed to aging research during the era. His 1975 paper, Effect of aging on plasma renin and aldosterone in normal man[6], helped illuminate how endocrine and renal-vascular regulation change with age, establishing early biomarkers of aging trajectories. Anthony Kales[2] of the University of California, Los Angeles[3] and the Pennsylvania State University[5] contributed to geriatric physiology in this era. His 1967 MEASUREMENTS OF ALL-NIGHT SLEEP IN NORMAL ELDERLY PERSONS: EFFECTS OF AGING[7] highlighted aging-related sleep changes and underpinned functional-assessment approaches used to gauge daily living and health in older adults.

Standardized Functional Assessment era

Anne B. Newman [1] is a prominent geriatrician whose work during this era spanned major academic centers, including Harvard University [4] and the Institute of Cancer Research [3]. Her key contribution, Frailty in Older Adults: Evidence for a Phenotype [6], introduced a measurable frailty phenotype that enabled cross-setting comparability and prognostic stratification, shaping standardized assessment and protocol-driven care in geriatrics. Linda P. Fried [2] is a central figure whose work in this era is associated with Harvard University [4] and the University of California, San Francisco [5]. Her contributions, including the Frailty in Older Adults paper [6], helped define the frailty phenotype and established its prognostic relevance, driving the adoption of standardized functional assessment and care pathways across geriatric services.

Frailty-Centered Geriatrics era

Stephanie A. Studenski [1], a prominent geriatrician, was affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco [3] and Stanford University [4] during this era. Her key contributions in the frailty-centered era include the 2011 study Gait Speed and Survival in Older Adults [7], which established gait speed as a pragmatic biomarker for risk stratification and preoperative assessment, thereby shaping frailty screening and rehabilitation planning. Anne B. Newman [2], affiliated with the Institute of Cancer Research [5] and Harvard University [6], contributed to sarcopenia research during this era. Her work includes the 2011 article Sarcopenia: An Undiagnosed Condition in Older Adults. Current Consensus Definition: Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences [8] and the 2007 paper Alternative Definitions of Sarcopenia, Lower Extremity Performance, and Functional Impairment with Aging [9], which advanced consensus definitions and highlighted the impact of sarcopenia on aging, thereby informing frailty-targeted interventions.