How to Build Assessment for Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome into Primary CVD Prevention

Chiadi Ndumele, MD, PhD, MHS, offers 3 thoughts for primary care on incorporating CKM syndrome screening into daily clinical practice.

Individuals with early signs and symptoms of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome are seen in primary care settings every day. CKM syndrome was recently defined by the American Heart Association (AHA) in response to the increasing prevalence of kidney and metabolic disease in the US and their contribution to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related mortality.

Chiadi Ndumele, MD, PhD, MHS, chaired the AHA writing committee whose statement detailed the elements and cumulative danger of CKM syndrome and the essential role of primary care in early detection. Ndumele spoke with Patient Care® about how front line clinicians can assess their current clinical practices and begin to align their approach to primary CVD prevention with the novel and very logical paradigm.


Chiadi Ndumele, MD, PhD, MHS, is associate professor of medicine and director of obesity and cardiometabolic research in the division of cardiology at Johns Hopkins University. His research focuses on the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease, and particularly heart failure.