Chronic diseases see rapid growth in China

BEIJING - Chronic diseases will experience rapid development in China, as the number of patients is expected to triple or even quadruple in the coming two decades, a newly-released report warns.

"With an increasingly aging population and various factors that lead to cardiovascular threats, chronic diseases in our country will rapidly increase," said the 2011 Report on Cardiovascular Diseases in China, which was released Friday by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases.

The report estimated that an average of 3.5 million people die of cardiovascular diseases in the country every year, equivalent to one person dying of such illnesses every ten seconds.

Figures from the Ministry of Health showed that more than 260 million Chinese people suffer from chronic diseases, which account for about 85 percent of all deaths in the country.

According to the ministry, rapid industrialization, urbanization and an ever-aging population mean the number of patients with chronic diseases has been rising continually and quickly. Chronic diseases have placed heavy pressure on China's healthcare system, as such cases account for 70 percent of the total number of disease cases.

Friday's report predicted that the treatment burden for myocardial infarctions, strokes, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will rise by 50 percent from 2010 to 2030.

Hu Shengshou, director of the center, said the country will launch a large survey on cardiovascular diseases that will cover some 500,000 patients in an attempt to grasp the current situation regarding the diseases before mapping out further health policies.

China recently published a four-year work plan for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases from 2012-2015. The plan includes a goal of adding one year to the average life expectancy of the population.