Significance of acarbose in the treatment of type 1 diabetics

ABSTRACT

Significance of acarbose in the treatment of type 1 diabetics ABST The aim of this controlled clinical study was to investigate the significance of the use of Acarbose to type 1 diabetic patients. Forty-five type 1 diabetic patients aged 12-20 years were subjected to this trial as a study group. They received Acarbose orally in an increasing dose starting from 50 mg per day till reaching to 300 mg per day for 3 months. Another 20 diabetic patients of the same age, sex and duration of diabetes were studied as a control group. Placebo tablets were given for them for 12 weeks. An evaluation of these patients, before and after Acarbose and placebo use, was done by the estimation of fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels, serum creatinine, liver function tests [ALT and AST], glycated HbA1c, serum cholesterol and triglycerides and the detection of hypoglycemic attacks during the last two weeks. The results of the control group showed that there were no statistical differences between before and after placebo use, while there were no significant differences between before and after Acarbose use for the study group as regarding fasting plasma glucose levels [before = 117.25 +/- 50.63 and after = 104.74 +/- 41.06], postprandial plasma glucose levels [before = 141.82 +/- 68.86 and after = 115.88 +/- 35.65], glycated HbA1c levels [before = 7.98 +/- 66.03 and after = 7.15 +/- 63.20] and insulin daily dose. There was a highly significant difference between before and after Acarbose use as regarding the average number of hypoglycemic attacks during the last two weeks. But, there was no significant difference between the results before and after the use of Acarbose as regarding serum cholesterol and triglycerides levels, liver function tests [ALT and AST], serum creatinine and body weight in kg