Millions Unaware of Deadly Health Syndrome

An estimated nine million people in Britain are living with an unrecognised health syndrome that significantly heightens their risk of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure. This condition, known as Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) syndrome, links obesity, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and heart disease. Clinicians warn that the UK's current practice of treating these conditions in isolation rather than as a combined syndrome delays crucial interventions and leaves patients unaware of their true danger.

CKM syndrome is biologically defined by the interconnectedness of these serious illnesses, where damage in one system rapidly accelerates harm in others. While American medical bodies have moved to classify it as a single condition to guide earlier identification and treatment, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) has yet to formally adopt this approach. This disconnected care pathway means patients are often treated for one condition without adequate warning about the increased risk of developing others, a situation experts stress needs urgent change for preventative care.

Experts emphasize that a unified, preventative strategy starting in primary care is essential. The emergence of new medications, such as SGLT2 inhibitors, demonstrates the benefits of treating these conditions concurrently, showing significant reductions in cardiovascular events and slowing kidney disease progression. Some UK hospitals have trialled integrated care programs with promising results, indicating that a coordinated approach to CKM syndrome could prevent thousands of serious health events annually.