(Yahoo News) — Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. A newly defined, dangerous condition highlights the close relationship among several of these common chronic diseases, which plague millions of Americans.
In an advisory published on Oct. 9, the American Heart Association identified the strong connection between cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity and, for the first time, is defining the overlap in these diseases as a new medical condition: cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, or CKM syndrome.
One in three (33%) adults in the U.S. have three or more risk factors that contribute to heart disease, kidney disease or metabolic disorders, according to the AHA’s 2023 Statistical Update. Type 2 diabetes and obesity, the two main metabolic disorders under the CKM umbrella, are on the rise and affecting more young people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CKM syndrome refers to the spectrum of cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity, and how they overlap, potentially increasing a person’s risk of dying from heart disease. (…)