Diabetes as Stage 2 CKM: Why Cardiologists Need to Intervene Earlier

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the primary cause of mortality among individuals with diabetes, demonstrating the complex metabolic, renal, and vascular relationships that define the cardio-kidney-metabolic (CKM) continuum. As Malaysia experiences increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), the burden of cardiovascular (CV) complications continues to rise. This highlights the necessity for a novel clinical perspective, one that acknowledges metabolic dysfunction as an integral aspect of a systemic disorder, thus necessitating urgent, coordinated intervention. In this second of a series of articles championing awareness on the CKM concept, Datin Dr Ong Mei Lin explains the necessity for cardiologists to assume a more proactive role in managing diabetes at CKM Stage 2 and discusses how evidence-based treatments, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) such as semaglutide, can influence long-term CV outcomes.