AHA Defines Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome, Redefines CVD Risk, Prevention, Management

In a move the American Heart Association hopes will increase early detection and treatment of potent risk factors responsible for the persistent increase in US cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, the professional organization has defined a constellation of cardiometabolic diseases as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic, or CKM, syndrome.

Naming CKM, according to the AHA, acknowledges and identifies the strong connections among CVD, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. People who have or are at risk for CVD may have CKM syndrome and so be candidates for a range of interventions, including newer classes of pluripotent medications, with cardio- and renal-protective properties.

In a Presidential Advisory published in the journal Circulation, the AHA details a multifaceted paradigm that includes CKM staging, corresponding screening approaches and medications, a new approach to CVD risk estimation, and heightened emphasis on the impact of social determinants of health on disease risk and how to improve access, intervention, and outcomes.

The following slideshow offers a topline look at 10 highlights of the advisory as an introduction for primary care.

Source: Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;148:00-00. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001184