A glimpse at the metabolic research in China.

Abstract

Over the last few decades, China has witnessed a great leap in economic growth and social welfare. Unfortunately, Chinese people have also been affected by a pandemic of over-nutrition, lack of physical activity, and increasing prevalence of metabolic disorders including obesity, diabetes, non-alcohol fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. For instance, China currently has the largest number of diabetic patients (∼116 million) in the world. The fire of metabolic disorders is further fanned by the increased aging population, according to the survey results from the National Bureau of Statistics. On the other hand, progress in metabolic research has also made big strides. Here, we offer a glimpse at metabolic research in China, including not only its status quo but also its prospects, which aims to make significant contributions to our understanding of metabolism from bench to bedside.