Chronic disease to pose big challenge in coming decades

China will face a big challenge on disease control because of a higher incidence of chronic diseases expected in the next 18 years.

It is estimated that the number of people age 40 and older with chronic diseases in China will double or even triple by 2030, according to a report released by China Heart Congress on Friday.

The 2011 report on cardiovascular diseases in China, by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, also shows that the country’s death toll from chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, will increase by 50 percent by 2030.

The World Bank reported last year that more than 260 million people in China have been diagnosed with chronic diseases, which account for 85 percent of deaths in China.

Nearly 70 percent of the country’s medical costs are for chronic diseases.

China now has about 230 million people with cardiovascular disease, which means one in every five people has heart problems.

If the cardiovascular disease death rate could be reduced by 1 percent year-on-year in the next 30 years, it would save the country more than $10 trillion, which is as much as 68 percent of the national GDP in 2010, the World Bank report said.

Hu Shengshou, president of Fu Wai Hospital, China’s largest hospital specialized in cardiovascular diseases, said the number of people with heart disease in hospitals across the country is increasing by 10 to 20 percent every year.

However, there are still big discrepancies among hospitals in terms of medical treatment.

A survey by Fu Wai Hospital covering 43 hospitals in China indicated that the death rate in some hospitals after coronary bypass surgery is about 6 percent. But in some hospitals, the rate is less than 1 percent.

In terms of the death rate of acute myocardial infarction, one of the most common cardiovascular emergencies, discrepancies are also witnessed among hospitals in Beijing.

The death rate in some hospitals is 20 times higher than in those with the lowest rates.

"The numbers are amazing. Even in the capital of China, we have a lot of room to improve our medical treatment," Hu said.

Fu Wai Hospital is cooperating with some residential clinics. Doctors from the hospital paid regular visits to residential clinics, not only to treat patients, but also to give guidance to medical staff.

Kong Lianzhi, deputy director of the Health Ministry’s bureau of disease control and prevention, said that the ministry turned the focus from disease treatment to prevention in 1998. Better service in residential areas and home medical staff are essential parts of the plan.

To date, the cooperation between public hospitals and residential clinics has benefited more than 1 million people nationwide.

Yang Yuejin, director of the cardiac surgery department of Fu Wai Hospital, said the hospital has built a center in Beijing for research on heart disease prevention.

"Despite publicizing the importance of ideas, such as not smoking and eating less salt, we will also publish handbooks for doctors," Yang said.

The China Heart Congress said that the country’s first national mass screening for cardiac disease would be carried out this year. Congenital heart disease will be included in the screening for the first time. The latest national statistics on cardiac disease risk factors were compiled in 2002.

yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn