Effect of Acarbose in Type II Diabetics Treated with Diet Alone, with Diet, and with Sulfonylurea, Diet, and Insulin

Abstract

Glucosidase inhibition with acarbose, a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of diabetes mellitus, has proven to be effective and well tolerated in over 5000 type I and type II diabetics. In three double-blind, crossover studies with 8-week treatment periods a total of 73 type II diabetics were treated with 150–600 mg acarbose or placebo daily. The treatment periods were separated by a 2-week washout phase. The three studies were the following: study A, 28 patients treated with diet alone (age, 57 ± 9 years; Broca index, 1.27 ± 0.14); study B, 26 patients, sulfonylurea therapy (age, 55 ± 8 years; Broca index, 1.14 ± 0.16); study C, 19 patients, insulin therapy (age, 57 ± 9 years; Broca index, 1.14 ± 0.15). In each study blood glucose, both fasting and 2-h postprandial, urine glucose, and body weight were determined at the end of the pretreatment period as well as at 2, 4, and 8 weeks thereafter. The effect of acarbose on blood glucose (8th week) was examined for each patient group as a whole, as well as for responders and nonresponders.