The American Heart Association has identified a new medical condition as a result of an increasing number of Americans being diagnosed with multiple chronic health problems at younger ages. This condition is reflective of the close relationship between obesity, diabetes, heart, and kidney disease.
On Monday, an announcement was made that the purpose of identifying the condition known as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM) is to provide earlier detection and intervention for individuals with a greater chance of dying from cardiovascular illness.
Dr. Chiadi E. Ndumele, the lead author of the advisory and an accompanying statement and the director of obesity and cardiometabolic research in the division of cardiology at Johns Hopkins University, declared that their primary objective is to decrease the number of people that develop heart disease.
An image of a hemodialysis machine and its patient can be seen in the accompanying photograph. The device is used to clean the blood of those with renal problems, and the patient is being attended to.
The American Heart Association states that the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome has a wide-reaching effect, impacting the heart, brain, kidneys, and liver.
Currently, according to Ndumele, the combination of these health problems are manifesting in the form of heart disease and presenting earlier. Moreover, he explains that the concept of CKM is “truly a shift in the way we view things.”
An expanding amount of proof demonstrates how metabolic risk elements, for example, stomach fat, hypertension, elevated cholesterol and elevated blood sugar can detrimentally affect other organs inside the body.
According to Dr. Pam R. Taub, a cardiologist, the potential of a novel strategy may possibly revolutionize the way medical practitioners treat their patients.
Taub, a professor of medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, expressed that the emergence of new treatments for the various components of the syndrome, such as kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity, have caused a reduction in cardiovascular events and provided medical professionals with fresh insights into the connection between the distinct organs.
Taub noted that the CKM process has been an enlightening one, as “organ cross-talk” is taken into account. This is referring to the intricate interactions between organs within the body.
Urine samples can be utilized to recognize early indications of kidney disease. According to the speaker, this is very important, since the patient can be provided drugs to avoid the development of chronic kidney disease.
Taub commented that, by taking into account the whole organism, it is possible to “identify illness in its early stages and subsequently avoid cardiovascular issues, like cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction and cerebral vascular accident.”
It is fortunate that, when the condition is identified early on, those affected can benefit from treatment and make improvements.
Ndumele commented that in his experience in the medical field, there have been occurrences of regression resulting from considerable lifestyle modifications and weight reduction.
Ndumele and his colleagues formulated a progression of stages for physicians to recognize patients in danger: ****
- Stage 0: No risk factors for heart disease are present.
- Stage 1: Individuals carrying excessive abdominal fat or with prediabetes are categorized here. A healthy lifestyle should be adopted with the intention of achieving a minimum of 5% weight loss.
- Stage 2: Those with Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high triglycerides or renal disorder fall into this level. Medications to manage blood pressure, sugar levels and cholesterol may be recommended. In addition, SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic or Wegovy can be prescribed to control blood sugar and help reduce weight.
- Stage 3: This stage is for people who possess metabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure and early cardiovascular disease or kidney disease, but without exhibiting any signs. Medications for diabetes and heart, in addition to testing for narrowing of arteries, are recommended.
- Stage 4: Those with diagnosed heart disease, extra body fat, metabolic risk factors or kidney disease are placed here. People may have already suffered heart attack or stroke, or have developed heart failure. This group is divided further into those with and without kidney failure.
Ndumele estimated that most adults (more than 90%) are on the CKM spectrum, due to the high levels of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in both adults and kids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that 41.9% of adults and 19.7% of children in the US are obese, while 37 million adults are known to have diabetes.
Dr. Howard Weintraub, the clinical director of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU Langone Heart in New York, proposed that the advisory could motivate doctors to “have a broader scope”.
Weintraub suggested that doing so could assist in identifying and treating patients before their condition worsens. Additionally, it could encourage individuals to take obesity seriously as a health risk.
He remarked that waist circumference and obesity had once been a focal point in the past several decades, but was then neglected until recently.
According to Weintraub, a significant factor was the absence of medication to address the situation. When a patient was admitted with a BMI near 30 and the possibility of diabetes increased, doctors typically would only “encourage the patient to reduce their french fry consumption, exercise more, and then schedule a follow-up appointment for the next year,” he noted.
Weintraub suggested that CKM may be able to facilitate increased engagement between doctors and patients at an earlier stage. He remarked, “This way, we can try to treat them before they reach a more advanced stage, rather than waiting until they come to medical attention.”
The expense of the new medications has Weintraub concerned, and he fears that insurance carriers may be reluctant to cover the cost, particularly for those in the initial stages.
Weintraub pointed out the importance of targeting young people while they are still healthy. He noted that it is essential to maintain the well-being of America’s youth so that their arteries do not become clogged by the time they reach their 30s.