• A new study suggests that people with chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, or both conditions may face a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) 8 to 28 years earlier than those without of these conditions.
• Chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes are components of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, which has a significant impact on cardiovascular disease risk.
• These findings can help healthcare professionals diagnose cardiovascular disease earlier in their patients and prevent the disease.

Researchers used simulated patient profiles to determine how risk factors associated with CKM syndrome interact with age.

These results, although not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal, could inform earlier detection and intervention strategies in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

The American Heart Association defines CKM syndrome such as the interconnection between cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The study aimed to understand the impact of CKM syndrome on the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers developed risk profiles representing men and women aged 30 to 79, with or without chronic kidney disease and/or type 2 diabetes.

Chronic kidney disease was classified according to an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 44.5, indicating stage 3 kidney disease.

Type 2 diabetes was identified by a “yes” response to the PREVENT calculator question “Any history of diabetes.”

Recognizing those most at risk earlier can help improve primary prevention efforts and reduce the risk of early death from cardiovascular disease.

Lead author of the study Vaishnavi Krishnan, B.S.a researcher from Northwestern University in Chicago and a medical student from Boston University School of Medicine in Boston explained the key findings to Medical news today.

“Our study shows that the risk of cardiovascular disease varies greatly depending on a person’s age and other health conditions. Specifically, people with diabetes or kidney disease are at much higher risk of heart disease, even at a very young age in their 30s – something that is now possible to calculate with the PREVENT equations.

— Vaishnavi Krisnan, lead author

“This could not be assessed previously with pooled cohort equations because it started at age 40 and did not include kidney function,” explained Krishnan.

She added that the study “should help to better understand the risk of cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks, heart failure and stroke.”

People with high blood pressure, low glucose, or borderline kidney function may face hidden health risks, even without a formal diagnosis.

These risks appear earlier for people with CKM (cardiovascular, renal and metabolic) diseases such as kidney disease or diabetes.

For example, while elevated cardiovascular risk begins around age 68 for women and age 63 for men without CKM, it can appear decades earlier for people with CKM, particularly in combined conditions.

By fostering collaboration between organizations and identifying gaps in clinical care, it is hoped that clearer, evidence-based treatment guidelines can be developed.

Richard Wright, MDsaid a board-certified cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., who was not involved in the research. MNT that “this interesting and provocative analysis is only a simulation and is not based on real clinical data, but nevertheless dramatically highlights the potential ‘more than additive’ risk that these conditions present in predicting future cardiovascular events.

“Although not as scientifically sound as a true prospective population study, the current assessment is based on valid scientific data and should not be ignored,” he said. Medical news today.

“It has been known for decades that type 2 diabetes mellitus is an important predictor of early atherosclerotic and cardiac events. More recently, the additional risk imposed by the presence of chronic kidney disease, manifested either by reduced creatinine clearance, the presence of albumin in urine, or both, has been appreciated. Both conditions amplify the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and several other cardiovascular pathologies through various pathways, including increased systemic inflammation.

—Richard Wright, MD

“Even astute clinicians will likely be surprised by the dire prediction that the coexistence of these two problems radically increases the risk of early myocardial infarction and stroke,” Wright explained.

“This is truly a call to action, both to identify those at such risk and to begin more aggressive treatment earlier than we have traditionally thought necessary,” he said. he added.

Cheng-Han Chen, MDboard-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the structural cardiology program at Memorial Care Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Calif., who was also not involved in the study, said that “a simulated risk study can be a useful tool to examine the usefulness of our risk models and provide information on how to better adapt and correct a risk model for clinical use.

“Type 2 diabetes causes high blood sugar which damages the blood vessels in our body. This then results in atherosclerosis which can then lead to conditions such as heart attack and stroke. Likewise, chronic kidney disease can cause effects such as increased blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and inflammation, all of which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

—Cheng-Han Chen, MD

Dr. Chen added that “the AHA Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome Initiative provides an important framework for us to address the prevention and management of these prevalent and interconnected diseases.”

“By considering these conditions in concert, we may be able to come up with better treatments to help improve health outcomes.” »