Bulletin No. 2, 2014

Vigilance Against Diabetes  29  Latest WHO data shows that: • 347 million people worldwide have diabetes • In 2012, an estimated 1.5 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes • WHO projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030 Professor of the institute remarked, ‘Family history of diabetes and personal lifestyle are important risk factors of the disease. About 50% to 60% of young- onset patients have immediate family history. Rapid lifestyle changes, uncontrolled diet and lack of physical exercise all account for the rising prevalence of diabetes among the young.’ It is projected that young-onset diabetes cases will double by 2030. According to Prof. Juliana C.N. Chan (3rd left, front row), Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics and Founding Director of the institute, ‘About 50% of young people with diabetes have high blood pressure and 75% have high cholesterol level. When compared to older-onset diabetes, young- onset diabetes is associated with 48% increased risk of cardiovascular disease and 35% increased risk of kidney disease.’ Diabetes is a chronic disease without obvious symptoms at early stage. Complications of the disease will cause irreversible damage to the body. Regular checkup is important to allow early diagnosis and timely treatment. The latter includes blood glucose control, emotional management and medication, and is crucial for reducing the risk of complications such as blindness, kidney failure, diabetic leg amputation and most cancers. Led by Professor Chan, the CUHK diabetes research team has been engaged in research on diabetes for over 20 years and developed comprehensive assessment. The institute was founded in 2005 and has since provided affordable assessment service for the community through its Yao Chung Kit Diabetes Assessment Centre for over 15,000 people. Advocating New Approach for Diabetes Care in China Besides serving Hong Kong, the institute also attends to the diabetes management in China. It has engaged in a recent collaboration with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- sen University to research on the future diabetes scenario in China. Ageing population, dietary changes, reduced physical activity, and exceptionally high rates of smoking have contributed to the diabetes epidemic in China. In 1980, less than 1% of adults had diabetes. It had increased to almost 12% (113.9 million adults) by 2010. Latest estimates indicate that around half of the Chinese adults have prediabetes. Prof. Ronald C.W. MA (2nd left, front row) of the institute pointed out that the potential economic and health burden associated with this epidemic is very alarming, ‘In 1993, the cost of diabetes treatment in China was 2.2 billion RMB. The projected cost for 2030 is 360 billion RMB.’ The findings have recently been published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology .  The study further pointed out that Chinese people are particularly susceptible to type 2 diabetes compared to Caucasians, and tend to develop the disease at a much lower body mass index (BMI). The average BMI of Chinese patients with diabetes is 25kg/m 2 , compared with 30kg/m 2 in non-Asians. Prof. Juliana C.N. Chan remarked, ‘While we await the results of long-term strategies from the China National Plan for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Treatment (2012–15) including tobacco control and universal screening for gestational diabetes, we advocate the use of a targeted proactive approach to identify people at high risk of diabetes for prevention, and  private- public community partnerships that make care more accessible, sustainable, and affordable via registry, empowerment, and community support.’