Acarbose May Equal Metformin for Diabetes Control

This study is the first head-to-head comparison of metformin and acarbose as initial therapy for Type 2 diabetes after failure of therapeutic lifestyle modification," according to the researchers. "Metformin should remain as first-line treatment for patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes, while patients with exaggerated postprandial excursion [high after-meal glucose levels] can be treated with an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor as an alternative therapy before cardiovascular benefits of acarbose are validated and confirmed in ongoing studies." Limitations of the study include the absence of a placebo (inactive treatment) control group and the lack of an assessment of gut hormones that could be affected by the two medicines. The authors call for further research comparing acarbose, as well as newer diabetes medicines, to metformin. For more information, read the article "Acarbose Cuts HbA1c on Par With Metformin," or see the study's abstract in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. And to learn more about metformin or acarbose, click here or
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs