Rapid increasing burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease caused by high body mass index in 1.25 million Chinese adults, 2005–2018

Background Temporal trends and geographical variations in disease burden for diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) attributable to high body mass index (BMI) in China have not been fully elucidated. Methods We estimated deaths and years of life lost (YLLs) for DM and CVD attributable to high BMI by age, sex, year, and region from 2005 to 2018 based on pooled data of 1.25 million adults. Findings Approximately 497,430 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 470,520–525,720) deaths for DM and CVD were attributable to high BMI in China in 2018, with 453,750 deaths from CVD and 43,700 deaths from DM. Between 2005 and 2018, there was a 17.35% increase in age-standardized mortality rate for DM and CVD attributable to high BMI. The high BMI-related DM and CVD YLL rates increased from 127.46 (95% UI 108.70–148.62) per 100,000 people aged 20–24 years to 5,735.54 (95% UI 4,844.16–6,713.53) per 100,000 people aged ≥80 years, respectively. The highest age-standardized mortality rate for high BMI-related DM and CVD in northeast, northwest, and circum-Bohai Sea regions of China. Conclusion The disease burden for DM and CVD attributable to high BMI increased substantially between 2005 and 2018. Urgent measures are required at both national and regional levels for resource mobilization to slow the growing burden. Funding The work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, China National Science & Technology Pillar Program, and National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China.