MARKERS OF SEVERITY IN CHRONIC SYSTEMIC DISEASES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Introduction: Chronic systemic diseases represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the identification of reliable markers of disease severity is essential for risk stratification, prognosis, and individualized management. Objective: The main objective of this systematic review was to identify and critically appraise validated clinical, laboratory, imaging, and composite markers of severity across major chronic systemic diseases, with secondary objectives focused on prognostic value, clinical applicability, and implications for multidisciplinary care. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, LILACS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and ICTRP, including studies published in the last five years that evaluated severity markers in chronic systemic diseases, followed by structured data extraction and qualitative synthesis. Results and Discussion: A total of 20 studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory, renal, respiratory, and autoimmune diseases, and demonstrated heterogeneous but clinically relevant markers associated with disease progression, complications, and mortality. Conclusion: The findings highlight the growing role of integrated severity markers in guiding clinical decision-making and emphasize the need for standardized, evidence-based approaches to severity assessment in chronic systemic diseases.