A Preventable Epidemic of Coronary Heart Disease in Modern China

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, many changes have taken place in China over the past half century. Whereas China has made phenomenal strides both economically and geopolitically, it has also undergone dramatic changes in the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD). People in China used to be known for their lean body build, low plasma cholesterol levels and low incidence of CHD [1]. Now all has changed; CHD in China has climbed from the fifth most common form of heart disease in 1949–1957 (6%) to the second most common in 1958–1968 (16%) and rising again in 1969–1979 (26%) to become the most common in 1980–1989 (27%) where it remains until today [1]. What are the risk factors responsible for this drastic change in modern China?