Effect of acarbose on weight maintenance after dietary weight loss in obese subjects.
OBJECTIVE
Acarbose is a well established antidiabetic drug and is known to exert a modest weight-lowering effect. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of acarbose to improve weight maintenance after a substantial weight loss by dietary measures in obese subjects.


METHODS
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the effect of acarbose on weight change over a 6-month follow-up period.


METHODS
One hundred and ten obese subjects with a BMI > or = 32 and < or = 38 kg/m2 were included in the study and underwent a 10-16-week very-low-calorie diet programme to initiate weight loss. Then, subjects were randomised to receive either acarbose or placebo for 26 +/- 2 weeks. The primary variable was body weight. The primary efficacy analysis was performed in the per-protocol population (n = 75).


RESULTS
After an initial mean weight loss of 10.0 +/- 3.4 kg, 54 subjects received acarbose at increasing dosage and 56 subjects received placebo treatment. After 14 weeks of follow-up, there was no change in body weight in the two groups. After 26 weeks, completed by 37 subjects in the acarbose group and by 38 subjects in the placebo group, a small weight regain of 0.6 kg was documented in the latter, whereas no weight increase was observed under acarbose treatment (p = 0.38, analysis of covariance with initial body weight as covariable).


CONCLUSIONS
In obese individuals who undergo a hypocaloric diet and achieve a substantial loss of body weight, acarbose treatment provides only a very modest, not significant benefit to stabilise weight reduction. Thus, acarbose is not a useful adjunct to improve weight maintenance in obese subjects after weight loss.
Hauner
H
H
German Diabetes Research Institute at the Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany. hauner@dfi.uni-duesseldorf.de
Petzinna
D
D
Sommerauer
B
B
Toplak
H
H
D020909:Acarbose / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010919:Placebos; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*
D020909:Acarbose; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010919:Placebos