title: [Acarbose, a reliable therapeutic principle].
abstract: Acarbose is a first-line treatment for newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes, those who have high postprandial blood glucose and for patients in whom dietary treatment alone provides inadequate glycemic control. Acarbose lowers blood glucose when administered as monotherapy and in combination with other antidiabetic drugs. It reliably reduces levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by 0.9% and positively affects other parameters of the metabolic syndrome. In patients with impaired glucose tolerance, it reduces cardiovascular endpoints significantly by 49%. There are no serious side effects. Gastrointestinal adverse effects decrease considerably by a stepwise and individual dosage adjustment during long-term treatment and good dietary discipline.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik III der Universität Giessen. Heiner.Laube@innere.med.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laube
mesh_terms: D020909:Acarbose / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003927:Diet, Diabetic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020909:Acarbose; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents