- About 90% of Americans meet the criteria from at least stage 1 of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome.
- CKM is a recently defined condition that includes heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
- A new study found that light physical activity, such as walking, may help lower a person’s mortality risk for people with stages 2, 3, or 4 of the disease.
“CKM syndrome is a new framework (
Sartini is the lead author of a new study recently published in the
Doctors diagnose a person with CKM syndrome by the presence of specific risk factors, such as:
- chronic inflammation
- high blood sugar levels
- high cholesterol levels
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- lowered kidney function
- obesity or abdominal obesity.
Based on their risk factors, a person may fall into one of four CKM stages:
- stage 1 — early signs of excess body fat or prediabetes
- stage 2 — diabetes, hypertension, high triglycerides, moderate-to-high risk for chronic kidney disease
- stage 3 — initial signs of heart disease along with stage 2 symptoms
- stage 4 — diagnosed heart disease, such as heart failure or stroke, with or without kidney failure.
Sartini said that while there have been some studies on the potential health benefits of light physical activity, none have evaluated the long-term benefits for those with heart disease or at risk of heart disease, identified using measures of CKM syndrome.
“This is important for a couple of reasons,” he explained. “People with more advanced CKM syndrome are at higher risk of negative outcomes, such as premature mortality.“
“People with more advanced CKM syndrome also are more likely to face challenges with engaging in higher-intensity physical activity (e.g., running),“ the researcher added, noting that “light activity is highly accessible — it does not require a gym membership or special equipment.”
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that participating in light-intensity exercise was significantly correlated with a lower mortality risk for participants in CKM syndrome stages 2, 3, and 4.
“Our research suggests that light physical activity is an overlooked tool that can help improve heart health for people with CKM syndrome,” Sartini said. “This is important because 90% of the population is affected by this syndrome.”
Scientists also found that increased light physical activity by only one hour a day was linked to a 14–20% lower death risk over 14 years, and that upping light activity time was associated with more benefits at higher CKM syndrome stages.
“People with more advanced CKM syndrome are more likely to face challenges meeting traditional physical activity recommendations — i.e., 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week,” Sartini said. “For many of these individuals, sustained high intensity activity [may] not even be safe or possible. Light activity might be a useful, accessible alternative for high-risk populations.”
Michael Fang, PhD, MHS, assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland and senior author of this study added:
“Our findings suggest a potential substantial benefit of breaking up sedentary time with simple, accessible lower-intensity activities like yoga, casual walking, stretching, and household chores. This may be especially useful for individuals with or at high risk for heart disease.”
MNT had the opportunity to speak with Kevin Shah, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and program director of Heart Failure Outreach at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, about this study.
Shah, who was not involved in this research, commented that its findings validate what many clinicians see every day in practice: For patients with CKM syndrome, movement does not have to be intense to be meaningful.
“The finding that even light physical activity was associated with a substantially lower risk of death is both reassuring and empowering for patients who may not be able to meet traditional exercise recommendations,” he told us.
“What stood out most was that the benefit appeared strongest in patients with more advanced CKM stages, where barriers to vigorous exercise are often greatest,“ Shah continued. “That has important implications for how we counsel patients with heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or obesity.“
“Rather than framing physical activity as an all-or-nothing goal, this study reinforces that incremental, achievable movement can still translate into meaningful long-term health benefits,” he emphasized.
MNT also spoke with Ian Del Conde, MD, a cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, who agreed with this point of view, and commented that the level of activity seen to convey these benefits in the study is practical and attainable to many people in their daily lives.
“It is important for researchers to continue to examine how light physical activity translates into health benefits because, as a society, we have drifted towards an increasingly sedentary lifestyle often coupled with poor diets, which in turn fuels a growing burden of cardiovascular and metabolic disease,” Del Conde, who was likewise not involved in the study, said.
“We need to reverse this trend and return the society to something closer to our origins with more persistent activity, even if light,” he added.
For the next steps in this research, Del Conde said he would like to see “how light activity not only affects cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic disease but also mental health and duration of life and duration of health (healthspan).”
Shah commented he would like to see these observational findings translated into practical, patient-centered strategies.
“Future research should focus on interventional studies that test whether intentionally increasing light physical activity, such as structured walking programs or movement-based daily routines, can improve meaningful outcomes in patients with CKM syndrome,” he explained.
“I’d also love to see work that helps us better define what types and patterns of light activity are most beneficial and how benefits differ across age groups and disease stages,” Shah added.
“Ultimately, this line of research moves us toward a more inclusive model of prevention,” he continued. “We can begin to recognize that small, sustainable changes in daily movement may lead to meaningful gains in longevity, especially for patients living with advanced cardiometabolic disease.”