The American Heart Association has expanded its education portfolio to help clinicians translate the first-ever cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome guideline into practice. The new resources, announced in October 2026, range from 15-minute micro-learnings to in-depth courses and practical tools, with continuing education credit offerings varying by activity. The move matters because cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic conditions—such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity—often overlap, making coordinated care increasingly important to reduce disease burden and improve patient outcomes.
Since 2023, the American Heart Association has been a leader in advancing CKM health by convening experts across science, clinical care, and industry and developing resources to help improve diagnosis and management of these interconnected conditions. The Association’s CKM education can be found on the CKM Health for Professionals site, designed to help physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare team members confidently apply the latest CKM science in practice.
The portfolio includes Micro-Learnings (15 minutes or less), short videos and activities that allow clinicians to build actionable CKM knowledge quickly. Topics include measuring waist circumference, highlights from the 2026 CKM Syndrome Guideline, the PREVENT equations, weight management conversations, and bridging gaps in CKM care. Podcasts (30-minute episodes) offer CE credit on therapeutic applications for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which is increasing alongside rising metabolic risk factors. Additional episodes explore the connection between chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease and interdisciplinary approaches to cardiometabolic and liver health.
For deeper learning, Videos on Demand (60+ minutes) can be watched at any time. These include recorded versions of live events, such as the CKM Syndrome Guideline Unpacked: A Unified Approach for Interdisciplinary Prevention & Care, a virtual summit featuring insights from the guideline writing committee. Additional offerings address cardiovascular risk assessment, chronic kidney disease screening, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and managing patients with heart failure and CKM syndrome.
Apps and tools are designed to support CKM care at the point of practice. A QuickStart guide for the American Heart Association Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTsTM (PREVENT) Online Calculator helps clinicians estimate 10- and 30-year cardiovascular disease risk by integrating cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic health measures. The Guidelines-on-the-Go app, available for iOS and Android, puts the latest science and clinical recommendations at your fingertips. Toolkits and additional resources include the CKM Care Clinical QuickStart Guide, a concise, step-by-step guide covering screening, risk stratification, staging, and management, as well as resources for kidney disease screening and coordinated care across specialties.
“CKM syndrome challenges clinicians to look beyond a single condition and consider how cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health influence one another,” said Ambar Kulshreshtha, M.D., Ph.D., a family practice physician and member of the Association’s CKM Health Initiative. “These educational resources support a range of learning styles and busy schedules, giving care team members practical ways to build knowledge, stay current with the latest evidence and apply recommendations.”
Several of these educational experiences are offered by the American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health Initiative™, supported by founding sponsors Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim, supporting sponsors Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Bayer, and champion sponsor DaVita. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the connections between CKM syndrome conditions, improve diagnosis rates, and help clinicians and patients better manage their risk for cardiovascular disease. For regular updates on new science and learning opportunities, follow American Heart Association Science on X @HeartNews. Connect with the American Heart Association on heart.org for more information. The original release is available on www.newmediawire.com.
