Heart disease will continue to be the country's top health threat in the next decade, with more rural residents being affected, according to a report released on Friday.

China has about 290 million people with heart disease - a quarter of its population and one out of five adults - according to a report on cardiovascular disease released at the 2015 China Heart Congress in Beijing.

"The epidemic is continuing and has become China's major public health problem," said Zhao Dong, a cardiovascular disease expert at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, one of the country's best hospitals for treating heart diseases.