American Kidney Fund Statement on Newly Defined Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Syndrome

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Oct. 12, 2023) — The American Kidney Fund (AKF) strongly supports the American Heart Association's advisory, published in the journal Circulation, that newly defines the overlap seen in chronic kidney disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, or CKM syndrome.

LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO, today issued this statement:

"We have long known that diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney disease, that heart disease can cause kidney disease, and vice versa. Defining the strong connections among cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity and outlining new approaches for staging, screening and collaborative care has the potential to significantly increase kidney disease screening and awareness. These measures will in turn improve health outcomes for so many who face a serious and life-altering diagnosis.

"About 37 million people in the U.S. have chronic kidney disease and millions more are at risk. More than 800,000 have kidney failure, in which the leading cause of death is heart disease. These are sobering statistics, especially when you consider that 1 in 3 U.S. adults have three or more risk factors that contribute to heart disease, metabolic disorders and kidney disease.

"With recent therapies that target chronic kidney disease, greater awareness that will arise out of the identification of this syndrome and adoption of CKM-related screening that aims to detect disease early and prevent progression, we hope that kidney disease trends will soon begin to abate.

"Additionally, we are pleased to see that the approach for CKM syndrome includes screening for and addressing social factors that act as drivers of health and that the advisory proposes updating the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk calculator to include measures of kidney function, Type 2 diabetes control and social determinants of health for a more comprehensive risk estimate of ASCVD."