Asia is facing a cardiovascular disease epidemic as a result of increases in obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking, show data analysed in the Asia Pacific cohort studies collaboration.

The findings are based on data from 600 000 people involved in 43 studies in nine places: China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and New Zealand. Whereas many western countries are grappling with rising obesity and have seen a peak in rates of smoking, in Asian countries—most notably China—several major risk factors are all rising.

“The pace of economic development in this part of the world is very fast, and smoking rates have increased rapidly too,” said Professor T H Lam, head of the department of community medicine at the University of Hong Kong, one of the centres …