The project launch meeting was held in Changsha, Hunan Province on November 1. Led by The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, the project is jointly undertaken by multiple institutions including Beijing Hospital, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Shanghai No.6 People’s Hospital. It serves as a sub-project under the National Science and Technology Major Project on Prevention and Treatment of Four Major Chronic Diseases: Cancer, Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular, Respiratory and Metabolic Diseases (shortened as the "Four Major Chronic Diseases" Major Project).
In 2024, 16 central government departments led by the National Health Commission rolled out the national "Weight Management Year" Campaign, elevating obesity prevention and control to the level of national public health strategy. More than 50% of Chinese adults are overweight or obese, among whom 10% suffer from severe obesity. Effective treatment of severe obesity can substantially reduce the disease burden of cardiovascular and various metabolic disorders, which is an urgent requirement for advancing the Healthy China 2030 Initiative. Metabolic surgery remains the only effective therapeutic approach for severe obesity; nevertheless, clinical bottlenecks including insufficient weight loss and postoperative weight regain remain unsolved.
Targeting the two core clinical pain points, this project intends to establish a full-cycle diagnosis, treatment and management system for metabolic surgery adapted to the clinical characteristics of Chinese patients with severe obesity. The project is headed by Professor Zhu Liyong, Party Committee Secretary of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University. The cross-disciplinary research team assembles top specialists covering clinical medicine, epidemiology, omics and artificial intelligence, forming an innovative research cohort featuring complementary strengths and collaborative tackling of key scientific problems. The team strives to construct an integrated clinical system featuring "precision patient stratification, dynamic early warning, intensive intervention and intelligent whole-cycle management" for severe obese patients receiving metabolic surgery.
Speeches were delivered at the launch meeting by Chen Xiang, Executive Vice President of Central South University (who attended the meeting online); Xiao Wenming, Member of the Party Leadership Group of Hunan Provincial Health Commission and Director of Hunan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; and He Qingnan, Party Committee Secretary of The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. All speakers extended warm congratulations on the project launch and voiced high expectations for its delivery.
Professor Zhu Liyong, the principal investigator of the project, systematically presented the overall objectives, research contents, anticipated outcomes and implementation roadmap of the project. Afterwards, Professor Li Guoping from Beijing Hospital, Professor Zhu Liyong, Professor Zhang Peng from Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University and Professor Di Jianzhong from Shanghai No.6 People’s Hospital successively reported the work plans of each sub-project. They conducted in-depth analysis of potential difficulties and challenges in research and put forward targeted solutions, demonstrating solid research capability and rigorous academic attitude of the entire team. The project has also invited a group of nationally renowned multidisciplinary specialists to form an expert advisory panel to provide professional guidance for smooth project implementation.
The successful convening of the launch meeting marks a new stage of domestic research on metabolic surgery for severe obesity featuring "guidance by national strategies and multidisciplinary collaborative research", laying a solid foundation for the steady advancement of the project.
In the next stage, the research team will integrate multidisciplinary superior resources, adhere to a patient-centered, research-driven philosophy, and complete all research tasks with high standards. The project is expected to significantly improve surgical efficacy and long-term prognosis, upgrade the overall medical service quality for patients with severe obesity in China, help patients achieve sustained long-term health benefits after surgery, and inject strong momentum into the national campaign against the four major chronic diseases as well as the full advancement of the Healthy China Initiative.
First Reviewer: Li Ruijun
Second Reviewer: Liu Zhisheng
Chief Reviewer: Zhu Liyong
Translator： Zeng Xiangni
