9 Out of 10 People in Malezya Found to Have Multiple Heart-Kidney-Metabolic Risk Factors

The Malezya Ulusal Kanser Derneği (NCSM), in collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim and the support of the Sağlık Bakanlığı, has published two new policy briefs addressing cardiology, nephrology, and metabolic diseases. Titled "Kardiyorenal Metabolik (KRM) Sendromu in Malezya: Toplum Temelli Ortak Tarama İhtiyacı" and "Kardiyovasküler-Renal-Metabolik (KRM) Sendromu in Malezya: Bakım Basamağındaki Uçurumu Kapatmak," these briefs call for urgent action across the country. Authorities emphasize the need for a holistic health approach to prevent, diagnose early, and manage closely interrelated heart, kidney, and metabolic diseases. These diseases frequently co-occur in the same individual, share common risk factors, and accelerate each other's progression. Therefore, instead of the fragmented structure in current health systems, a transition to an integrated care model that addresses diseases as a whole is necessary.

The proposed policy recommendations are based on the findings of a project that provided free screenings to 5,000 individuals in 2025 within impoverished and underprivileged communities in the Klang Vadisi region. The community screening program conducted revealed how prevalent interconnected cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic diseases are, showing that the health system is under serious risk. According to the data obtained, 41.3 percent of the screened participants were identified as obese and 28.8 percent as overweight; this means that seven out of every ten people carry an increased weight-related health risk. Additionally, prediabetes (hidden sugar) was found in 34.5 percent of the participants, while diabetes was diagnosed in 35.1 percent, revealing the extent of hidden blood sugar problems in society. In a general assessment, it was determined that almost all individuals participating in the screening (97.8 percent) carried at least one cardiorenal metabolic risk factor.

The results of this research emerged at a time when Malezya is struggling with increasing chronic disease rates in recent years. While the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the country was 9.1 percent in 2011, it climbed to 15.5 percent in 2019, showing a concerning increase. Furthermore, the number of people in Malezya requiring dialysis machines has increased more than threefold in the last twenty years. Health experts warn that if early diagnosis is not achieved and coordinated intervention among diseases is not implemented, both the quality of life of patients will decrease and the burden on the current health system will become even heavier. Experts state that taking urgent and decisive steps is of vital importance in preventing this picture.

The published policy briefs clearly identify two key action priorities that need to be taken at the national level: The first is the nationwide expansion of integrated joint screening programs to detect these interconnected diseases at an earlier stage. The second priority is strengthening the continuity of care and ensuring that individuals are correctly and seamlessly directed from the screening stage to diagnosis, treatment, and long-term disease management. Experts point out that current health approaches generally treat each disease in isolation, missing opportunities to identify overlapping risks. It is noted that fragmented referral systems, inconsistent follow-up mechanisms, and disruptions in the continuity of care lead to patients not receiving timely interventions despite having abnormal screening results.

To overcome these identified challenges, the briefs propose comprehensive solutions such as greater utilization of digital health technologies and the integration of standardized risk assessments into routine health checks. Furthermore, it is emphasized that instead of merely boasting about the number of screening activities, patient outcomes—such as the completion of diagnosis, initiation of treatment, and control of the disease—must be meticulously measured. NCSM General Director Dr. Murallitharan Munisamy stated that Malezya has the opportunity to take a pioneering step by moving beyond managing diseases separately and addressing cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic health as an interconnected whole. Ultimately, policymakers, healthcare providers, employers, and civil society organizations are called upon to collaborate to identify at-risk individuals before complications arise and direct them to the necessary treatment.