PARIS (Reuters) - 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 (news - web sites) 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 at least $153 billion.  "In some countries with a higher incidence, diabetes has a higher economic impact than AIDS," Williams Rhys, professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Wales, told a news conference.  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.

Diabetes occurs in two basic forms: type I, which occurs in children and adolescents and accounts for five-10 percent of all diabetes cases, and the more common type II, or adult onset diabetes.  Patients with type I diabetes do not produce enough insulin while those with type II produce insulin but cannot use it effectively. Adult onset diabetes can often be prevented or controlled in its early stages with careful diet and exercise, but patients often need a range of drugs to control it.  Diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, disability and death.

HEALTHIER FOODS

More than 75 percent of diabetes cases are expected to be in developing countries by 2025 because of rapid culture 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 Paul 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) or higher than normal blood glucose levels -- a high risk condition 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 who 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 (news - web sites) systems may fail to ensure the appropriate care to the millions who will be affected by diabetes in 2025," he said.

"Department stores, drug stores and even doctors are selling a growing array of products, often called 'cosmeceuticals,' that seem to claim they can reverse the aging process."

Mr. Davis goes on to name some of the products currently on the market.  "While none can get rid of deep wrinkles, some products may firm the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines.  But you have to know what you're buying and use it carefully.  Wrinkles occur as we age because the body produces less collagen and the skin loses its elasticity.  Smoking and overexposure to the sun can hasten the process.  many products contain alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, which may help boost collagen production.  The problem is that they can increase sensitivity to the sun and the risk of sunburn.  As a result, the Food and Drug Administration recommends that users wear sunscreen and avoid the sun.   To minimize skin irritation, many experts suggest sticking to weaker solutions of AHAs - those with concentrations of 10% or less and a pH of 3.5 or higher - which tend to be less effective.

Another common ingredient, retinol, is a derivative of vitamin A.  It's a weaker version of the active compound in the prescription anti-wrinkle drug Retin-A and Renova, which have been shown to build collagen, get rid of skin blotches, and possibly even prevent skin cancer.  But the effectiveness of over-the-counter retinol is less clear-cut.   Despite the claims of manufacturers, many experts say most retinol products are too weak to do much good.  Some experts are similarly skeptical when it comes to antioxidants like vitamins C and E and coenzyme Q-10.  These compounds are believed to counteract free radicals, which damage cells and cause aging.  But there's no definitive evidence that antioxidants, when applied to the skin, have anti-aging effects.  However, there are some dermatologists who believe, for different reasons, that antioxidants may increase collagen production.  As for other ingredients, there's even less proof that they work.  The cost of cosmeceuticals varies widely - from less than $10 an ounce to more than $100."

Mr. Davis goes on to give consumers advice about choosing a product that is right for them.

Obesity, Diabetes Continue to Increase in U.S., Associated Press,  Wall Street Journal, January 2, Page D4.

"The twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes still are on the rise in the U.S."

More than 44 million U.S. residents were obese and 16.7 million people had diagnosed diabetes during 2001, according to a study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The researchers found the U.S.'s obesity rate climbed to 21% during 2001 from 20% the year before, and the rate of diagnosed diabetes rose to 7.9% from 7.3%.  The study appeared in yesterday's Journal of the American Medical Association.  The study's findings are based on telephone surveys with a nationally representative sample of 195,005 adults.  The study used self-reported data to calculate body-mass index, a height-to-weight ration.  A BMI of 30 or higher was considered obese in the study.  Researchers believe the real  rates are even higher, partly because people tend to underestimate their weight."