A program aimed at treating and preventing cardiovascular disease, a major reducer of life expectancy in China, will be launched this year, health authority officials announced Thursday.

The project, piloted in Liaoning, Jilin, Zhejiang provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will cover 400,000 people, of which 80,000 high risk individuals will receive treatment, said the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC).

Cardiovascular disease has become one of the major illnesses leading to reduction of life expectancy and expensive treatment has pushed some victims of the disease into poverty.

According to the NHFPC, people who are diagnosed as high risk will receive treatment, including lifestyle improvement, medication suggestions, and a follow-up diagnosis.

The project was approved by the Ministry of Finance and the NHFPC.

In July, the World Health Organization released a report highlighting China's rapidly escalating burden of "lifestyle" diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.