title: "Low dose" metformin improves hyperglycemia better than acarbose in type 2 diabetics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  "High dose" metformin therapy (2,550 mg/day) is reported to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients with obesity (body mass index (BMI) > or = 30). Some have reported that metformin therapy, even in low doses (500-750 mg/day), improves glycemic control in non-obese type 2 diabetic patients (BMI approximately 25). However, it is unclear whether "low dose" metformin improves glycemic control better than acarbose in non-obese type 2 diabetic patients, which has been shown to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes with obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomly divided 22 non-obese type 2 diabetic patients (mean BMI approximately 25) into two groups (A = 11, B = 11). Group A was treated with "low dose" metformin (500-750 mg/day) for 3 months, and switched to acarbose (150-300 mg/day) for another 3 months. Group B was treated with acarbose first, and then switched to "low dose" metformin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  "Low dose" metformin significantly decreased the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c level in both groups A and B, whereas acarbose decreased HbA1c levels in group B but not in group A. Overall, "low dose" metformin significantly decreased HbA1c (p=0.0165) levels as compared to acarbose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, "low dose" metformin therapy improved glycemic control better than acarbose in non-obese diabetics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yajima
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasuga
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saruta