Communities that are more vulnerable to climate change also face a greater burden of cardio-kidney-metabolic diseases, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The research reveals a significant association between climate vulnerability and adverse health outcomes, with implications for targeted public health interventions.
The cross-sectional study, conducted by researchers at Houston Methodist, analyzed 70,300 census tracts comprising nearly 300 million Americans. They found that each climate change domain—health, social and economic, and extreme events—was strongly associated with cardio-kidney-metabolic outcomes, including coronary heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension.
“We were motivated by the growing recognition that climate change may disproportionately affect individuals with chronic conditions such as CKM diseases,” said Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi, associate professor of cardiology at Houston Methodist. “Despite this, the relationship between climate vulnerability and CKM disease burden had not been well characterized, particularly at the granular, census-tract level.”
The analysis showed geographic patterns of vulnerability, with regions in the southern United States displaying the highest risk for poor cardio-kidney-metabolic health related to the climate health domain. The social and economic domain showed more spatial variation, while extreme event vulnerability was primarily concentrated in the West, parts of the Midwest, and Northeast states.
“These data help identify geographic areas where individuals with CKM conditions may face compounded risks due to climate-related stressors,” Al-Kindi explained. “This study underscores the importance of integrating environmental and climate data into health disparities research. As the climate crisis evolves, so too must our frameworks for understanding and addressing its impacts on chronic disease and health equity.”
See “Community vulnerability to climate change also telling of cardio-kidney-metabolic health” (June 02, 2025)
