Learn: The Cardiovascular–Kidney–Metabolic (CKM) Connection

A small, evidence-based library on how the kidney, heart, and metabolism drive one another — for clinicians, fellows, and students. Each guide answers one question in plain terms, cites primary sources, and links into the interactive CKM Explorer.

Why CKM on a nephrobesity site?

Nephrobesity focuses on the obesity–kidney interface — and that interface sits at the core of cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic (CKM) syndrome. In the American Heart Association framework, excess or dysfunctional adiposity is the metabolic starting point (Stage 1), and the kidney is a central organ that amplifies and channels metabolic risk into cardiovascular risk. Covering CKM is therefore not a detour from nephrobesity — it is the framework that explains why the obesity–kidney axis matters for the heart. What this site adds is depth on that axis, beyond what broader CKM overviews provide.

The interactive CKM ExplorerStage a patient, read their heart–kidney risk, and match organ-protective therapy — a free, ~15-minute walkthrough.Open the CKM Explorer →

Written and reviewed by Amir S. Naderi, MD, FASN — board-certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology, with a clinical focus on obesity medicine. Trained at UT Southwestern and Johns Hopkins. Last reviewed July 2026.

Educational use only. This page explains concepts for health professionals, trainees, and students. It is not medical advice and does not calculate an individual patient’s risk.