Fully 25% of China's adult population suffer from hypertension and almost 10% have diabetes. The analysis was part of a ten-year study conducted by China's National Health and Family Planning Commission. Chronic diseases result from poor dietary habits, sedentary life styles and smoking, the report continued, though longer average lifespans also have an effect. The government plans an all-out education offensive to prevent the occurrence of chronic disease, and it pledged to develop best-practice use of western-style drugs and TCM products to treat chronic disease, once it occurs.

Overall, chronic disease caused death in 533 out of 100,000 Chinese people in 2012, a number that represents 86.6% of all deaths. Cardio-cerebrovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases were the largest problems: they caused almost 80% of all deaths. The mortality rate of cardio-cerebrovascular disease was 271.8 out of 100,000 people; the cancer mortality rate was 144.3 out of 100,000 people (the top five cancers were lung, liver, gastric, esophageal and colorectal cancers), and the chronic respiratory disease mortality rate was 68 out of 100,000 people.

The report was based on disease rates in 2012. It compared those rates with a previous study done in 2002.

Some of the statistics were particularly alarming. "The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rate among those of 40 years old and above was 9.9%," said the report. China has 300 million smokers (28% of the adult population), and 9% of its population were classified as excessive drinkers.

On the positive side, the incidence of malnatrution was lower, though the overweight/obesity rates climbed more than malnutrition declined. In 2012, 30% of the population who were 18 years old and above were overweight. That was 7 percentage points higher than in 2002. The same age group had an obesity rate of 12%, which was up 5 percentage points.

Cancer rates also increased; it affected 235 out of 100,000 people. Lung cancer was the most prevalent form of cancer in men; women were most likely to have breast cancer.

Adult malnutrition was 6%, down 2.5 percentage points over 2002. Child and adolescent malnutrition was 9%, down 4 percentage points. However, the rate of anemia was still close to 10% among residents six years old and above, even though that was only half the previous rate. Among children ages six and eleven, the rate was 5 percent, a drop of seven percentage points.

The NHFPC promised to address this major issue. "The NHFPC and relevant departments will take powerful and effective measures to curb the frequent occurrence of chronic disease and continue to improve nutrition and health conditions," said the report in a summary. "They will join forces in environmental governance, tobacco control, physical fitness, nutrition improvement, food safety, and social assistance. The policy environment for sustainable development of chronic disease prevention and control is taking shape."

Disclosure: none.