In China, the number of people with diabetes has increased from more than 1 percent of the population in 1980 to nearly 11 percent in 2017.^[i] The sharp increase in diabetes, including type 2 diabetes, has resulted in increased complications, such as CVD. In addition, rates of pre-diabetes continue to climb across the globe, including in China, where more than 1 in 3 people have pre-diabetes. Less than one-third of people with diabetes receive treatment.^[i]

As a response to this national epidemic, the collaboration will:

• Evaluate the health economic consequences of diabetes in China.
• Develop a simple cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk calculator to improve screening and diabetes management at the primary care level.
• Analyze patient samples to identify new biomarkers for diabetes progression, diabetic kidney diseases (DKD), and CVD.
• Develop and distribute medical education for health care professionals treating diabetes related CVD in China.

"As the number of people living with diabetes continues to grow rapidly throughout China, it is imperative that we address the human and economic impact of the condition," said Prof Lixin Jiang, Vice President of Fuwai Hospital, Assistant Director of National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases. "Diabetes often leads to complications, including cardiovascular disease. By advancing our understanding of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, we have an opportunity to significantly improve care for people in China."

By 2045, the number of people living with diabetes is expected to rise to 629 million worldwide, with type 2 diabetes being the most common form, accounting for around 90 percent of all cases.^[ii] Due to complications associated with diabetes, CVD is a major complication and the leading cause of death associated with diabetes.^[iii],[iv] Approximately 50 percent of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes worldwide are caused by CVD.

The collaboration will leverage data collected by the Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events (PEACE) Million Persons Project, which is the first large-scale epidemiological screening in China. The PEACE Million Persons Project will provide access to data from more than 1 million people with type 2 diabetes and increased CVD risk.

"We are grateful to the NCCD for their willingness to collaborate with us on initiatives that will advance our understanding of these complex diseases," said Robert Heine, M.D., Ph.D., Distinguished Lilly Scholar. "Our hope is this collaboration will produce learning and tools that will benefit people living with type 2 diabetes in China and elsewhere around the world."