Diabetes

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World Seen Facing Diabetes Catastrophe, Impact May Outpace AIDS

By Emelia Sithole

PARIS (Reuters) Aug 25 - More than 300 million people worldwide are at risk

of developing diabetes, and the disease's economic impact in some hard-hit

countries could be higher than that of the AIDS pandemic, diabetes experts

warned

on Monday.

In a report released at the International Diabetes Federation conference in

Paris, experts estimate the annual healthcare costs of diabetes worldwide for

people aged 20 to 79 are already at least $153 billion.

According to the Diabetes Atlas report, total direct healthcare spending on

the disease worldwide will be between $213 billion and $396 billion by 2025, if

predictions are correct that the number of people with diabetes will rise to

333 million by 2025 from 194 million.

" In some countries with a higher incidence, diabetes has a higher economic

impact than AIDS, " Rhys, professor of clinical epidemiology at the

University of Wales, told a news conference.

More than 75 percent of diabetes cases are expected to be in developing

countries by 2025 because of rapid cultural and social changes as well as

increasing urbanization. This is expected to further burden healthcare systems

already

stretched by the AIDS pandemic.

" What AIDS was in the last 20 years of the 20th century, diabetes is going to

be in the first 20 years of this century, " said Zimmet, foundation

director of the International Diabetes Institute.

Zimmet and other experts say the diabetes epidemic will be fueled by an

estimated 314 million people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) who are at

high

risk for developing type II diabetes.

They also warn that type II diabetes was increasing in children and

adolescents in many countries and is linked to rising obesity. They urged food

companies -- especially those that make fast foods -- to produce healthier

foods, and

governments to set up national campaigns to combat diabetes.

" We are running out of time, " IDF President-elect Pierre Lefebvre warned

during a news conference.

" If action is not taken now to stop the rise in diabetes, there is a

significant risk that governments and social security systems may fail to ensure

the

appropriate care to the millions who will be affected by diabetes in 2025, " he

said.

Reuters Health Information 2003. © 2003 Reuters Ltd.

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