Despite most people having never heard of it, nearly 90% of U.S. adults are at risk of developing cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, or CKM syndrome.
The connections between heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity cause the disorder. One reason the syndrome is not widely known is that the American Heart Association only defined it in 2023.
“The health conditions were previously considered separate problems and are often managed separately. With this new designation, the AHA wants people to understand that the conditions are closely connected,” according to Mass General Brigham, per CBS News.
Healthcare providers assess a patient’s risk factors to diagnose CKM syndrome.
- Stage 0: You possess no risk factors.
- Stage 1: You have excess body fat.
- Stage 2: You have Type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, or another linked condition.
- Stage 3: You have heart disease without symptoms or are at high risk of developing it.
- Stage 4: You have heart disease with symptoms, in addition to extra body fat and risk factors for metabolic conditions, like diabetes. This stage could also include having kidney disease.
Last year, a study published in JAMA concluded that nearly 90% of U.S. adults possess at least one of the following risk factors for CKM syndrome.
- High blood sugar
- Excess weight
- Reduced kidney function
- Abnormal cholesterol
- High blood pressure
According to the AHA, the interplay of these factors heightens your risk for heart attack, stroke, and heart failure more than any single one of them on its own. Fortunately, the AHA and other experts say improving eating habits and engaging in more physical activity can help prevent CKM syndrome.
“We want people to know that it’s really common to have heart, kidney and metabolic risk factors at the same time,” said Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association’s chief medical officer for prevention.
“It is reassuring that once the CKM connection was defined nearly three-quarters of those responding understood that it was important and wanted to learn more,” he added.