Chinese become ill through Westernization

Cardiovascular disease is number one killer in China

12/10/2012

While traditional Chinese medicine, which includes a healthy diet and lifestyle, is becoming increasingly popular in Europe, there has been an opposite trend in China for some time now, leading to more and more sick and overweight Chinese. Westernization causes around three million Chinese deaths each year from cardiovascular disease. Even children were increasingly overweight, experts at the International Congress of Cardiology in Beijing reported. A major problem is therefore lack of preventive measures, which are not provided for in the Chinese health system. Now doctors are sounding the alarm.

Every year, three million Chinese people die from cardiovascular diseases
Prosperity and, with it, diseases of civilization came to China with the rapid economic growth. Due to the changed lifestyle of many Chinese - especially the urban population - cardiovascular disease such as heart attack and stroke now occupy the first place in the cause of death in the United States „Empire of the middle“. According to a Chinese study presented at the International Congress of Cardiology in Beijing, every ten seconds a Chinese person dies as a result of cardiovascular disease.

Above all, the scientists see the lifestyle of many people, which has changed dramatically over the past 30 years, as the cause of the significant increase in civilization diseases. Thus, the annual per capita income has increased almost sixty-fold over the past 30 years. While a Chinese earned an average of 381 yen in 1978, his salary in 2010 averaged 29,748 yen. Add to this the rural exodus, even 30 years ago, only 18 percent of the Chinese population live in urban areas. Today, about 50 percent belonged to the city population.

Cardiovascular diseases are treated only at an advanced stage
Lack of exercise, unhealthy diet and nicotine consumption are the cause of the dramatic development of obesity, hypertension and diabetes, the researchers report. In addition, these civilization diseases are often not treated sufficiently or only at an advanced stage. „As a result, three million Chinese people die each year from cardiovascular disease, "study director Dayi Hu, director of the Heart Center at Perking University, said during the congress, saying that 40 percent of deaths were caused by heart attack, stroke and heart failure Co. With this, China is increasingly catching up with Western industrialized countries with regard to health problems.

The number of smokers has risen so drastically that now about every second man and a total of 350 million Chinese smoked cigarettes or other tobacco products, the researchers report. In China, smoking in public places is not prohibited. Hu therefore sees politics as having the duty: „The government must pass laws prohibiting smoking in public places.“ The Chinese Society of Cardiology plans to work with the government to better control tobacco use.

Health prevention measures in China so far neglected
„Prevention has not been a priority in the Chinese health care system yet, "Hu said, adding that not only is the population lacking knowledge of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but many physicians also lack the expertise to treat it „modern“ Diseases. Therefore, only the final stages have been treated in the last 20 to 30 years.

Especially doctors would give a bad role model, after all „Half of the male physicians smoke and many are overweight, "explains Hu. Even cardiologists who do not lack knowledge about such diseases have some of them living very unhealthily. „In my opinion, there will not be a healthy population unless there are healthy doctors, "warns the study director.

The health of Chinese children is also particularly dramatic. Many are similar to their Western peers due to lack of exercise and unhealthy diet now overweight to strongly obese. „We should start with more health education and education at a very early age in order to help people move more and eat healthily“, said Hu.

The scientist advises a low-salt diet. „In China, we should educate the population via television to eat less salt. We also have to promote healthy, low-salt cafeteria food, as many children eat more often in school canteens and employees often have their lunch and dinner in company-owned cafeterias than at home“, said Hu.

92 million Chinese suffer from diabetes
More and more people in China are also suffering from hypertension and diabetes. Both diseases are among the main risk factors for heart attack and stroke. There are now 92 million diabetics in the country, Hu said. Especially in the cities, the number had increased dramatically - by 50 percent. Due to inadequate treatment of diabetes in China, 16 times as many diabetics would be treated due to complications in hospitals as in the Netherlands, Hu adds. „The number of people affected is huge, but there are hardly any measures.“

The situation is similar in the care of hypertensive patients. Only a third of those affected in China are even aware that their blood pressure is too high, while it is 80 percent in the US. Only 24 percent of these Chinese patients would be treated for hypertension. This compares to 74 percent in the US. In the end, only six percent of high blood pressure patients in China would get their numbers under control, compared to 50 percent in the US.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is often discovered late, because it shows no symptoms for a long time or is associated with only moderate, nonspecific complaints. However, if the blood pressure is greatly increased, it can lead to nervousness and other vegetative symptoms, morning headaches, breathing difficulties during exercise and severe dizziness. If you also have acute nosebleeds, severe palpitations and headaches, you may already have had a high-pressure crisis. In this case, immediate emergency medical assistance is required. The most serious consequences of hypertension are heart attack and stroke. (Ag)

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Image: Benjamin Thorn