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Clinical experience with acarbose: results of a Canadian multicentre study

N W Rodger1, J L Chiasson, R G Josse

  • 1Centre de recherche, Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, Quebec.

Clinical and Investigative Medicine. Medecine Clinique Et Experimentale
|August 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Acarbose effectively lowers blood glucose after meals and HbA1c levels in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) over one year. This alpha-glucosidase inhibitor improves metabolic control when added to various NIDDM treatment regimens.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Current treatments for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) primarily target fasting blood glucose.
  • Short-term studies suggest acarbose, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, can reduce post-prandial glucose and HbA1c.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of acarbose as an add-on therapy for improving glycemic control in NIDDM patients.
  • To assess acarbose's impact on metabolic parameters over a 12-month period across different NIDDM management strategies.

Main Methods:

  • A 1-year, placebo-controlled study involving four patient groups: diet alone, diet with sulfonylurea, diet with biguanide, and diet with insulin.
  • Acarbose or placebo was administered as adjunctive therapy to assess its efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Adjunctive acarbose significantly reduced postprandial blood glucose levels in all treatment groups.
  • After 12 months, HbA1c levels were significantly lower with acarbose compared to placebo in all groups except the diet and insulin group.

Conclusions:

  • Acarbose demonstrates long-term efficacy in improving metabolic control for NIDDM patients.
  • Adding acarbose to existing NIDDM therapies, except potentially diet and insulin, offers a valuable option for optimizing glycemic management.

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