Understanding the interconnectedness between heart and kidney disease

By Dennis Archambault

The transition from February (American Heart Month) to March (National Kidney Month) is a natural moment to reflect on how closely the heart and kidneys are linked—both in their normal function and in the diseases that affect them. That connection is the focus of a National Kidney Foundation (NKF) campaign, “The Heart-Kidney Connection: A Vital Partnership.”

Health‑awareness months are typically organized around individual organs or diseases. While this approach helps boost health literacy, encourage preventive behaviors, support advocacy, and drive fundraising, it can also unintentionally obscure how interconnected the body truly is. Many conditions do not fit neatly into a single category.

In “7 multisystemic diseases every physician should watch for,” published in MDLinx, Dr. Daveed Saleh emphasizes this point: “No disease totally affects only one part of the body. Everything in the body is connected somehow… Certain diseases seem to be entrenched in various organ systems… They can be so varied in presentation and involve so many organs that they can’t be assigned to one main organ system.”

Diabetes is one of the conditions he highlights. It can lead to cardiovascular problems such as coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, angina, and stroke. It can also impair kidney function and contribute to a wide range of other complications.

The NKF describes “cardiovascular‑kidney‑metabolic syndrome” (CKM) as occurring at the intersection of kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. According to the American Heart Association, one in three U.S. adults has three or more risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and/or kidney disease.

The takeaway for both primary care providers and patients: By monitoring heart and kidney health together, clinicians can take a more holistic approach that helps slow disease progression and improve overall outcomes.

Authority Health Centers has promoted early screening for CKD since 2023. Dr. Prashanti Boinapally, director of Programs and Quality at Authority Health, introduced this collaboration with the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan as one of the ways to more effectively address chronic disease. “We make sure that hypertensives and diabetics have a kidney panel test done to make sure their heart and kidneys are functioning well,” according to Dr. Boinapally.

For more information on the heart–kidney connection, the NKF offers a helpful backgrounder on the topic.

Dennis Archambault is vice president of Public Affairs for Authority Health.