Coronary heart disease in China

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the second leading cause of cardiovascular death in the Chinese population. It accounts for 22% of cardiovascular deaths in urban areas and 13% in rural areas. Although mortality from CHD in China is relatively low compared with Western levels, the burden of CHD has been increasing. This is partly because of a worsening profile of risk factors, such as an increased prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, overweight/obesity, diabetes, etc and partly because of an increase in the aged population. Large-scale, randomised controlled trials on thrombolytic, blood-pressure-lowering, antiplatelet and blood-cholesterol-lowering treatment as well as cardiac intervention have been conducted for Chinese patients with myocardial infarction. The studies provide important information for the prevention and management of chronic CHD and acute myocardial infarction in the Chinese population.