Inflammation is already elevated at the earliest stage of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome

by University of Eastern Finland

edited by Swati Mestri, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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A new analysis of U.S. national health data finds that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a blood marker of inflammation, rises across the stages of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, with the largest increase at the earliest stage.

The study, a collaboration between researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was published open access in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026.

The American Heart Association introduced CKM syndrome in 2023 to describe how heart disease, kidney disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes are linked. It runs from stage 0 (no risk factors) and stage 1 (excess or unhealthy body fat) through stage 2 (conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease) to stages 3 and 4 (early and established heart disease).

The team analyzed data from 4,315 adults in the 2015–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants' average age was 48 years, and half were women. Average hs-CRP nearly doubled between stage 0 and stage 1, the largest change seen across all stages, and crossed 2 mg/L, the level commonly used to signal increased cardiovascular risk. From stage 1 onward, average levels stayed above this threshold, rising only modestly at stage 2 before leveling off.

The findings suggest that inflammation is already present at the first stage of CKM syndrome. The authors note that hs-CRP is best understood as an easy-to-measure warning sign of underlying inflammation rather than a treatment target in itself. Because the study looked at a single point in time, it shows an association but cannot prove that inflammation drives the syndrome forward. Studies that follow people over time and trials testing early prevention are now needed.

"What stood out to us is that inflammation was already elevated at the very first stage, before people had developed diabetes, kidney disease or heart disease, which is where we may have the most room to change the course," said lead author Douglas R. Corsi, M.D., a physician at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a Ph.D. student at the University of Eastern Finland.

"This makes a strong case for early prevention, either by treating inflammation directly or by reducing excess body fat through lifestyle and dietary changes while using an inexpensive blood test like hs-CRP to track the risk," said Andrew Agbaje, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., the study's senior author, associate professor (Docent) of clinical epidemiology and child health at the University of Eastern Finland.

Publication details

Douglas R Corsi et al., High-sensitivity C-reactive protein across the cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic syndrome spectrum: a nationally representative, survey-weighted analysis of US adults, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (2026). DOI: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwag476

Journal information: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology

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Inflammation

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CardiologyPreventive medicineCommon illnesses & PreventionHealthy livingWeight managementNutrition & Healthy eating Provided by University of Eastern Finland Who's behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

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Citation: Inflammation is already elevated at the earliest stage of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (2026, October 14) retrieved 14 October 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-inflammation-elevated-earliest-stage-cardiovascular.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.