Risk Factors for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Complications in the Chinese Population

Type 2 diabetes,a major noncommunicable disease,is typified by hyperglycemia,which stems from insulin resistance and dysfunction of pancreaticβ-cells(1).Prior multi-ethnic studies hypothesized that type 2 diabetes among Caucasians was primarily driven by insulin resistance,whereas in East Asians,it was predominantly a consequence ofβ-cell dysfunction(2).Apart from the apparent genetic variations,obesity has been identified as the main factor responsible for the pathophysiological differences in diabetes between Caucasians and East Asians(3).Notably,China has seen a considerable increase in obesity cases in congruence with substantial changes in lifestyle and urbanization over the last four decades.In a recent population-based national cohort study,we showed that insulin resistance,rather thanβ-cell dysfunction,had a significant role in the pathological progression of diabetes within the Chinese population(1).This correlation was particularly pronounced among obese adults(1).