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Special Episode: "A New Frontier", CKM with Dr. Chiadi Ndumele
Description
On this episode of The Kidney Collective, Mike Spigler is joined by guest co-host, Dr. Pranav Garimella, a nephrologist and AKF’s chief medical officer. They interview special guest Dr. Chiadi Ndumele, director of obesity and cardiometabolic research, director of the Heart Failure Prevention Program and associate professor of medicine and epidemiology in the Division of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Ndumele serves as chair of the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome guideline writing group. For his leadership efforts related to CKM health, Dr. Ndumele was awarded the American Heart Association Award for Meritorious Achievement in 2024.
The three discuss what CKM syndrome is and why the guideline, released in June 2026 by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, is an important step to addressing the rise of multiple chronic conditions in the U.S. Dr. Ndumele walks through the stages of CKM syndrome and explains how identifying the syndrome is not about labeling people, but reflecting what healthcare professionals are seeing in patients. The guideline is part of an effort to address the interconnected nature of heart, kidney and metabolic conditions (including diabetes and obesity) to improve patient outcomes overall. They also discuss the new PREVENT equation, a tool that patients and clinicians can use to determine someone’s risk and CKM stage. Finally, they talk about new therapies like GLP-1s and SGLT2 inhibitors and the importance of community-based health education programs and clinicians having a compassionate, nonjudgmental approach to help improve health outcomes.
Our thanks to the American Heart Association for helping bring this crucial conversation on cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health to The Kidney Collective!
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