Case-control study in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects treated with acarbose

Newer therapeutic approaches are being employed for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and among these, acarbose, an a-glucosidase inhibitor, has proven effective in lowering postprandial blood glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of acarbose in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients. Thirty-four NIDDM outpatients were enrolled who were followed at our Diabetic Clinic of the Internal Medicine Institute - Chieti University. They were randomized according to a case-control study protocol. The observation period lasted 3 months and tests were performed on the first, second, and third month. Group 1 patients received acarbose 50 mg, three times a day for the first month and 100 mg three times a day for the remaining 2 months. Subjects treated with acarbose showed a reduction of 22% in blood glucose (BG) (P < 0.001) and of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (17%-P < 0.001) at the end of the study, while the control subjects presented only a slight reduction (10%) of BG (P < 0.05). After case-control analysis, BG and HbA1c were significantly lower in the case subjects (P < 0.005 and P < 0.02, respectively). In patients with NIDDM, acarbose is a well-tolerated drug with short-term effects mainly on blood glucose levels, while the lowering effects on HbA1c require longer observation periods. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.