kardiometabolic

Cardiometabolic is an adjective used to describe conditions, risks, and processes that involve both cardiovascular and metabolic systems. In clinical and epidemiological contexts, the term highlights the interconnection between metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular disease, rather than implying a single disease entity.

Common cardiometabolic risk factors include central obesity, insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia (elevated triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol), hypertension, and inflammatory markers. These factors tend to cluster in what is commonly referred to as metabolic syndrome, a syndrome that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Definitions vary by guidelines—for example, the National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III, the International Diabetes Federation, and the World Health Organization—but all recognize the synergistic risk of these components.

Assessment and management: Clinicians assess cardiometabolic risk with clinical measures (blood pressure, waist circumference), laboratory tests (lipids, glucose, HbA1c), and risk calculators for cardiovascular disease. Management emphasizes an integrated approach: lifestyle modification including weight loss, regular physical activity, healthy diet; smoking cessation; and treatment of individual components with pharmacotherapy when indicated (for example antihypertensives, statins, glucose-lowering agents).

In research and public health, the term is used to study the shared etiologies and outcomes of obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and heart disease, and to develop strategies to reduce overall cardiometabolic risk across populations. The term's usage and precise definitions can vary by region and field.