Revista Clinica Espanola · Nov 1992
Effect of acarbose on glycemia and pancreatic hormone secretion induced by usual meals in Spain
By Gil E, Guardiola E
Acarbose is a pseudotetrasaccharide of bacterial origin which, in a competitive and reversible way, inhibits intestinal alphaglycosidase. Following such mechanism of action, carbohydrates are not split to monosaccharides and, therefore, cannot be absorbed as easily as in normal conditions. Controlled clinical trials have shown the therapeutic usefulness of Acarbose in the treatment of mon-insulin dependent as well as insulin dependent Diabetes, specially in reducing postprandial hyperglycemia and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Acarbose when it is used in a diet with a time-schedule and calorie distribution typical of a Spanish environment. A cross-over simple-blind study design was followed, in which 8 healthy volunteers, with ages between 23 and 29 years, took at 8:30 a.m. a 530 Kcal breakfast (18% of the daily total), at 13:30 p.m. a 1.400 Kcal lunch (40%), and at 21:00 p.m. a 1.070 Kcal dinner (36%). Before each of the meals 100 mg of Acarbose (or placebo, following a randomized distribution) were administered, and blood samples were drawn-10, 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes, in which glucose levels, insulin, pancreatic polypeptide and glucagon were determined. When Acarbose was administered statistically significant differences in glycemia and insulin postprandial figures were observed. It is concluded that when Acarbose is administered at a 100 mg dose (t.i.d.) together with a diet with a typically spanish calorie distribution and time-schedule, it produces a significant lowering in the postprandial glucose and insulin raises.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)