A survey released by the American Heart Association found that most adults haven’t heard of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome.
Approximately 9 in 10 adults are at risk for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a condition that most have never heard of, according to a survey released in October by the American Heart Association.
The American Heart Association (AHA) survey, which was published on Oct. 20, said that while nearly 90 percent of American adults have at least one risk factor for the syndrome, only 12 percent of people who were surveyed had heard about CKM syndrome, 72 percent said they are interested in learning more about the condition, and 79 percent concurred it is important to understand more about CKM health.
CKM syndrome is a disorder that is caused by connections between kidney disease, obesity, and heart disease, officials have previously said. It’s a newly named disorder, officials say.
Factors that could lead to CKM syndrome include high blood pressure, excess weight, reduced kidney function, unusual cholesterol levels, and high blood glucose, the association said, according to data published last year in the JAMA Network journal that was cited by AHA.
“The heart, kidney and metabolic systems are connected and, as such, should be treated in a coordinated way,” Eduardo Sanchez, a top American Heart Association medical officer, said in a statement. “These results reveal the need to emphasize those connections and help patients understand the importance of collaborative care.”
Sanchez said, however, that “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.”
A 2024 article citing research by Mass General Brigham, a Boston-based health system, also noted that the “health conditions were previously considered separate problems and are often managed separately.”
But the separate health conditions, it added, “can worsen each other and lead to serious outcomes, such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and abnormal heart rhythms.”
