8 in 10 young adults have CKM syndrome, increasing their risk of early arterial injury

Nearly 80% of young adults show signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, according to new findings published in Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes.[1] The study’s authors explored data from nearly 1,200 participants with an average age of 23 years; just 20.7% presented with no identifiable CKM risk factors.

What is CKM syndrome?

The American Heart Association (AHA) first put a spotlight on the concept of CKM syndrome back in 2023 with a thorough analysis.[2] The group explained that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is closely connected to kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Anyone experiencing symptoms related to any of these conditions are going to face an increased risk of developing CVD. 

“There is a need for fundamental changes in how we educate health care professionals and the public, how we organize care and how we reimburse care related to CKM syndrome,” Chiadi E. Ndumele, MD, PhD, writing committee chair and director of obesity and cardiometabolic research in the cardiology division at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said at the time. “Key partnerships among stakeholders are needed to improve access to therapies, to support new care models and to make it easier for people from diverse communities and circumstances to live healthier lifestyles and to achieve ideal cardiovascular health.”

Tracking the prevalence of CKM syndrome in young adults

For this latest study, researchers evaluated each participant’s cardiovascular health status using CKM syndrome staging and Life’s Essential 8 health scores. Overall, the group classified 2.8% of participants with Stage 3 CKM, 36.2% of participants with Stage 2 CKM, 40.2% of participants with Stage 1 CKM and another 20.7% with Stage 0 CKM. Stage 0 CKM, they noted, means that individual presented with no identifiable CKM risk factors. 

No participants presented with Stage 4 CKM, the authors added. Stage 4 is the most severe CKM classification.

“The study shows that CKM syndrome staging and Life’s Essential 8 are complementary for identifying adults younger than age 30 who may be on the fast track for arterial injury, plaque build-up and, ultimately, at higher risk for future cardiovascular events,” corresponding author Donald Lloyd-Jones MD, MS, an AHA volunteer and practicing cardiologist with Boston Medical Center, said in a statement.

Another key takeaway from the team’s analysis was the fact that participants with Stages 1, 2 and 3 CKM had significantly more signs of early arterial injury than patients with Stage 0 CKM. This shows that even young adults can present with early markers of atherosclerosis.