Fueled by rapid urbanization and changes in dietary and lifestyle choices, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases have emerged as a critical public health issue in China. To estimate the time trends of cardiovascular disease risk factors in China, we conducted a systematic review of the national representative studies of cardiovascular disease risk factors in China. The results indicated that the prevalence of hypertension in 2010 reached 33.5% (an estimated 330 million hypertensive patients), and the awareness and control rates were extremely low. Type 2 diabetes is an increasing epidemic in China with more than 100 million people affected. Although the Chinese population has a lower BMI than the global average level, abdominal obesity has become especially common in Chinese adults. Despite tobacco control efforts, the prevalence of smoking in China remains at a high level and domestic production of cigarettes continues to rise. Meanwhile, work and transportation‐related physical activity levels have declined sharply. In conclusion, in parallel with unprecedented pace of urbanization, China has experienced escalating epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases over the past decades, which not only affects physical health and quality of life, but also has serious economic and social consequences.
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