Abstract

Background: The Cardiovascular–Renal–Metabolic (CKM) syndrome is a systemic disorder linking metabolic risk factors, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease, leading to multi-organ dysfunction and increased cardiovascular risk. It promotes atherosclerosis through inflammation, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance. The PREVENT score, a new tool predicting overall cardiovascular risk including ASCVD and heart failure, encompasses CKM-related factors but has not yet been studied in Vietnam. This study aims to evaluate CKM stages among cardiovascular inpatients and estimate their 10-year cardiovascular risk using the PREVENT model.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on cardiovascular inpatients at an international hospital from March to November 2025. Patients aged 30–79 years who provided consent and completed required tests were included using convenience sampling. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, and the PREVENT score was applied to determine CKM stages and estimate 10-year cardiovascular risk.

Results: Among 459 patients studied, the majority (69.7%) were classified at stage 4 CKM, while early stages 0–1 were rare (2.9%). Stage 2 accounted for 23.1% and stage 3 for 4.4%. Male patients had a higher proportion in stage 4 (73.8%) compared to females (65.1%), who tended to be more in earlier stages (0–2). In the sample evaluated with PREVENT score, all patients at progressive stages had a 10-year cardiovascular disease risk ≥20%. Multivariate regression showed that age ≥65 years and overweight/obesity were independently associated with CKM progression.

Conclusion: The PREVENT scoring system effectively stratified the CKM syndrome stages in cardiovascular inpatients, identifying a high proportion with advanced-stage disease and elevated 10-year cardiovascular risk.