Nearly 90% of adults are at risk for this condition, but most have never heard of it, survey finds

About 9 in 10 adults in the United States have not heard of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome despite nearly 90% of adults being at risk for the condition, according to a recent survey from the American Heart Association.

Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, or CKM syndrome, is a disorder caused by the connections between heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity. The syndrome, which was defined by the AHA for the first time in October 2023, reflects how these conditions can influence or worsen each other. 

“The health conditions were previously considered separate problems and are often managed separately. With this new designation, the AHA wants people to understand that the conditions are closely connected,” Mass General Brigham explains.

To diagnose CKM syndrome, providers will test different risk factors, to determine your stage from 0 to 4, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Stage 0 means no risk factors; Stage 1 means you have excess body fat; Stage 2 means you have a condition such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease; Stage 3 means you have heart disease without symptoms or a high risk of it; and Stage 4 means you have heart disease with symptoms, extra body fat and risk factors for diabetes or other metabolic conditions. Stage 4 could also include kidney disease.

According to a study published in JAMA last year, nearly 90% of U.S. adults have at least one risk factor for CKM syndrome, which include the following: 

• High blood pressure
• Abnormal cholesterol
• High blood sugar
• Excess weight
• Reduced kidney function

“The interplay of these risk factors increases the risk for heart attack, stroke and heart failure more than any one of them alone,” the AHA said in a news release about its survey.

Changes to eating habits and physical activity can help prevent CKM syndrome, AHA and other experts say.

In a 2023 interview with CBS New York, cardiologist Dr. Nidhi Kumar said 33% of Americans have three or more risk factors that contribute to this syndrome.

“When we think of danger in medicine, sometimes people think of the words ‘cancer’ or ‘COVID,’ but chronic diseases, like those that make up CKM, are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States,” Kumar said. 

Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, the American Heart Association’s chief medical officer for prevention, said in a statement that it’s important for people to know it’s common to have heart, kidney and metabolic risk factors at the same time. 

“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,” Sanchez said. 

The Cleveland Clinic adds, “researchers are hoping for a future where everyone gets holistic treatment for CKM syndrome instead of treatment for one body system at a time.” 

The Harris Poll conducted the survey, which included about 4,000 U.S. adults, in August 2025 on behalf of the association.