Elderly women showed an increasing prevalence of advanced CKM stages with cardiovascular organ damage, reaching similar rates to elderly men in the most recent period (25.3% vs 30.5%).
Cross-Sectional (n=32,848)
Yes
There has been an increasing proportion of women in advanced cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) stages over the last 20 years, with elderly women now having similar rates of cardiovascular organ damage as elderly men.
Absolute Event Rate: 25.3% vs 30.5%
Rationale & Objectives: The cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome is defined as the intricate interplay among metabolic risks, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the cardiovascular system. The deteriorating CKM syndrome contributes to untimely morbidity and mortality. We aim to characterize gender- and age-related disparities in the prevalence of CKM syndrome over the last 2 decades. Study Design: A cross-sectional population-based survey. Setting & Participants: A total of 32,848 US adults participating in the NHANES survey from 1999 to 2020. Exposures: Gender, age (18-44, 45-64, and ≥65), and period (1999-2002, 2003-3008, 2009-2014, and 2015-2020). Outcomes: Prevalence of CKM stages. Analytical approach: Sample weights and Taylor series linearization method were applied to estimate prevalence and standard errors representative of the noninstitutionalized US adult population. For trend analysis across cycles, survey-weighted logistic regression was employed. Results: Young women aged 65 years). Limitations: NHANES data allow for assessing CKM stages with cardiovascular organ damage mainly based on self-reporting during interviews. Conclusions: We demonstrate an increasing proportion of women in advanced CKM stages over the last 20 years. Whereas the overrepresentation of younger women in the low-risk stages almost disappeared, elderly women in the last period showed almost the same risk of being in stages with cardiovascular organ damage as elderly men. Our analysis highlights an urgent need of preventive measures especially tailored to women.
Tian et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome (n=32,848). Female gender vs. Male gender was evaluated on Prevalence of CKM stages with cardiovascular organ damage in adults >65 years. Elderly women showed an increasing prevalence of advanced CKM stages with cardiovascular organ damage, reaching similar rates to elderly men in the most recent period (25.3% vs 30.5%).