American Heart Month: What is Newly Named CKM Syndrome?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and the top cause of death for older adults in Arizona. Prevention and identifying risk factors are key to combatting this disease that could affect you or a loved one if it hasn’t already.

This American Heart Month, we have a better understanding of the risks and management strategies. The American Heart Association released prevention guidance in 2023 after newly naming a heart-related syndrome.

Redefining heart disease risk, management, and prevention

The American Heart Association (AHA) has newly defined a syndrome called Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) syndrome.

CKM describes a mix of related health issues – cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity (metabolic conditions) – that can develop at the same time and increase the risks of heart attacks and strokes. How are these conditions related?

• The most common cause of death for people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease is cardiovascular disease.
• 1 in 3 U.S. adults have three or more risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and/or kidney disease.
• Having diabetes means you are more at risk of developing heart disease because high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart over time.

The newly named condition gives people a way to refer to being affected by obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease at the same time. The new term is intended to be a diagnosis that signals people are at high risk of life-threatening heart disease.

The AHA developed a system in stages for doctors to identify patients at risk for CKM syndrome.

• Stage 0: This stage represents people who have no risk for CKM syndrome as they eat nutritiously, exercise, avoid smoking, and maintain a healthy weight.
• Stage 1: People in stage 1 may be overweight with an unhealthy distribution of body fat (like excess belly fat) and could have prediabetes. Lifestyle changes are recommended, and they should aim to reduce their body weight by 5% and take medications to manage blood sugar if needed.
• Stage 2: People living with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease fall under stage 2. Lifestyle changes and weight loss are recommended, as well as taking medications to manage their condition(s).
• Stage 3: People in this stage have asymptomatic heart or kidney disease, meaning they already have the disease but aren’t experiencing symptoms. This may involve increasing or changing medications, and additional focus on lifestyle changes.
• Stage 4: People in this stage have heart or kidney disease and have experienced symptoms such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or kidney failure. The goal of care is individualized treatment for cardiovascular disease with consideration for CKM syndrome conditions.

Across all stages of CKM syndrome, lifestyle changes should be a priority.

Now that you know what CKM is, talk to your healthcare team if you believe you are at risk and come up with a plan that works for your health journey.

Want some more heart-healthy tips/information this American Heart Month? Visit: Make Your Heart Happy by Focusing on Your Cardiovascular Health (azblue.com).