Your Good Health

Heart, Kidney and Metabolic Health by Cassandra Taylor, RNC

Some women may be unaware they’re living with risks for heart disease, kidney disease and metabolic conditions like diabetes, which drive risk for cardiovascular disease. The interplay among these conditions is called cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, according to the scientific experts at the American Heart Association. Consider these facts women should know about CKM syndrome.   

Cardiovascular Disease is the No. 1 Killer of Women Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart disease and stroke, affects nearly 45% of women ages 20 and older, and 1 in 3 women will die from it, according to the association. “Despite heart disease being the leading cause of death for women, most women are not aware of their risk for heart disease,” said Sadiya S. Khan, M.D., M.Sc., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer and a member of the science advisory group for the association’s CKM Health Initiative, supported by founding sponsors Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim and champion sponsor DaVita. Women may develop heart disease differently than men and experience symptoms uncommon in men. Women are more likely to have blockage in smaller blood vessels around the heart and, while chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom, women are more likely than men to experience pain in the arms, jaw and neck, too.   

Early Action is Key According to a study presented at an American Heart Association scientific conference, women with either Type 2 diabetes or chronic kidney disease are predicted to reach elevated risk for CVD 8-9 years earlier than women with neither condition while women with both conditions may reach high risk 26 years earlier. 

Risk Factors are Connected The health factors that comprise CKM syndrome are connected. They include high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, excess weight, high blood glucose sugar and low kidney function. If something goes wrong in one area, it affects others. “Knowing your health numbers is critical to optimize your CKM health and prioritize prevention of heart, kidney and metabolic disease,” said Khan, who is also the Magerstadt professor of cardiovascular epidemiology and an associate professor of cardiology and preventive medicine at Northwestern School of Medicine.

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