What is CVRM?

Each organ of the body performs a specific task, but also depends on the other organs to function well. When one isn’t working properly, it places stress on other parts of the body, negatively affecting their functioning and jeopardising your health as a whole.

An important example of this interconnection is how the heart, kidneys and pancreas affect one another, and the corresponding links between cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes.¹

Cardiovascular disease (sometimes called heart disease) refers to conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. These include heart attack, heart failure and stroke. The common mechanism behind much of cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis – narrowing or hardening of the arteries.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition in which the kidneys can’t properly perform their function of filtering the blood, removing waste and toxins.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common disease associated with problems of blood sugar regulation. The pancreas is the key organ that produces enzymes and hormones, notably insulin, which break down food and control blood sugar levels.^1,2,3

These three diseases are of growing concern in medicine, as they are common and shorten far too many lives unnecessarily, as the following stats show:

• Cardiovascular disease is the world’s number one cause of mortality, responsible for nearly one third of all deaths.
• Chronic kidney disease affects over 10% of the world’s population – over 800 million people.
• Type 2 Diabetes affects 415 million people worldwide, a figure expected to rise to half a billion by 2040.^4,5,6

Because the heart, kidneys and pancreas are so closely linked through complex pathways such as blood flow and hormones, they can have a profound positive or negative impact on each other.

When disease occurs in one of these areas, it raises risk for disease in the other two areas:

The heart pumps blood to the body’s organs, including the pancreas and kidneys. If blood flow to these organs is impeded, as occurs for example with atherosclerosis, they can’t function properly.

If the kidneys are unable to filter the blood properly, blood pressure may rise, negatively affecting other organs. When the kidneys don’t work well, more stress is placed on the heart: it must pump harder for blood to reach the kidneys. This in turn can contribute to heart disease.

Insulin, produced by the pancreas, plays a key role in getting blood sugar into the cells to be used as energy. With diabetes, the pancreas either can’t make enough insulin or can’t efficiently use the insulin it does produce. Diabetes affects blood pressure and how the kidneys filter blood, and therefore also the health of the cardiovascular system. High blood sugar can progressively damage the kidneys and lead to CKD.^1,3

Risk factors for the three disease areas are similar and include:

• High blood sugar
• High blood pressure
• Family history of heart disease, chronic kidney disease or Type 2 diabetes
• Overweight and obesity
• Unhealthy diet
• Physical inactivity.

Speak to your doctor about your risk profile for these conditions.¹

The positive flip side to organ interconnectivity is that doctors and patients can work together to prevent and treat these conditions holistically, greatly reducing the risk of complications and further damage.³

You can tackle cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes simultaneously by following these healthy guidelines:^1,7,8

• Check in regularly with your healthcare providers to get the treatment most appropriate for you, and expert guidance on how best to manage your condition and make positive lifestyle changes.
• Get moving! Choose an enjoyable physical activity, and gradually build up your fitness to at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise (cardio) per week, plus a couple of days of strength training (resistance exercises e.g lifting weights).
• Follow a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, and low in processed food, added sugar and salt. This provides your body with the best fuel to function well and maintain a healthy weight.
• Stop smoking: it’s one of the best gifts you can give yourself.
• Get support from friends, family and the patient community. Receiving a new diagnosis and learning to live with a chronic disease can feel quite overwhelming at first, but remember you aren’t in this alone. Many people with these conditions find it helpful to join a support group or online community and connect with others on a similar journey. These are a good place to start:
• The Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa https://www.heartfoundation.co.za/
• Diabetes South Africa https://www.diabetessa.org.za/
• National Kidney Foundation of South Africa (https://nkf.org.za/).