An illness connecting heart disease, kidney problems, diabetes, and obesity is a major high-risk health cycle affecting nearly 90 per cent of US adults, but most people are unaware of the syndrome.
A survey conducted on behalf of the American Heart Association, the Harris Poll, found that only 12 per cent of U.S. adults knew what cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM) was, despite its affecting nearly 90 per cent of adults.
The condition is defined as something that brings together several major health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity.
The American Heart Association’s chief medical officer, Eduardo Sanchez, said they wanted more people to be aware of the risks, as symptoms such as high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood glucose, excess weight, and reduced kidney function were all potential signs of CKM.
“We want people to know that it’s really 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,” he said.
The survey further highlighted that 79 percent of respondents agreed it was important to learn more about CKM health, while 72 percent said they wanted additional information.
Around 72 percent of respondents were interested in how CKM syndrome is treated, and another 71 percent wanted to know how it is diagnosed.
The American Heart Association is creating educational tools to help people understand CKM health.
The main way to understand it all being connected is that the heart pumps blood to the body, the metabolic systems turns glucose (sugar) from the blood into energy, the process of metabolism dumps waste back into the blood, the kidneys filter waste from the blood and balance fluids, which helps with blood pressure and blood pressure affects how the heart pumps blood into the body.
“CKM health is about your overall health,” Sanchez said.
“It’s a full circle. You can take care of your overall health with regular checks of your blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, blood sugar and kidney function.”
The survey also found that 68 per cent incorrectly believed that health conditions should be managed one at a time, or were unsure of the best approach.
Meanwhile, 42 percent thought a healthy heart would not likely be affected by other organ systems or were uncertain.
The poll was conducted in August 2025, with approximately 4,000 U.S. adults participating.