Acarbose

Trade Names

Precose (US), Glucobay, Gluconase, Glumida, Precose, Prandase.

Class and Category

Alpha glucosidase inhibitor, anti-hyperglycemic agent.

Indications

The primary use of acarbose is the management of hyperglycemia in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. A study of 1429 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance randomized to either acarbose or placebo found that acarbose significantly decreased the risk of progression to diabetes and reversed glucose intolerance more frequently than placebo. Acarbose may have a role in the prevention of diabetes in some at-risk patients.

Dosage

Ranges from 50mg to 100mg taken three times daily, taken with the start of each meal.

Contraindications

Acarbose may cause gastrointestinal distress including flatulence, cramping and diarrhea due to the presence of undigested carbohydrates in the bowel. Therefore, patients with colonic obstruction or inflammatory bowel disease, or patients prone to developing intestinal obstructions, should not take...