BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- About 160 million Chinese adults, or 18.6 percent of grown-ups in the country, are suffering from abnormal blood fat, but only 21 percent of people know of the threat to health, experts said on Monday.

    The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the All-China Journalists Association, launched a year-long campaign on Monday, to create greater awareness about blood fat problems among the public.

    Cardiovascular diseases, the No. 1 killer for Chinese, causes about 3 million deaths in the country, or 40 percent of the annual deaths number, according to Zhao Dong, director of Beijing's municipal center for the control of heart, lung and vascular diseases. Abnormal blood lipid is one of the main factors causing cardiovascular problems, the expert said.

    Officials said at the launching ceremony that lectures and training programs, which cover not only the public but also media people, will be held to help spread knowledge of flood fat problems. A special website will also be launched, they said.

    The program is sponsored by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Limited, a world leader in manufacturing cardiovascular drugs.