What it is and what it is used for
Acarbose is a medicine used to improve the glycemic balance in the diabetic and in the treatment of obesity .
Acarbose-based drugs :
- GLYCOBASEY ® - Acarbose
- GLUCOBAY ® - Acarbose
From a pharmacological point of view, it is a complex oligosaccharide of microbial origin, which acts as a selective and reversible inhibitor of intestinal alpha-glucosidases; these enzymes are located at the level of the brush border of the small intestine and have the task of hydrolyzing ("digesting") the carbohydrates present in the food.
Acarbose and Diabetes
By interfering with the fragmentation of carbohydrates in the individual monomers (sugars) that make them up, acarbose reduces glucose absorption, with a consequent decrease in the post-prandial glycemic peak; therefore the utility of this drug in the treatment of uncomplicated diabetes mellitus is intuited.
In a hypothetical scale of therapeutic interventions, acarbose should be taken only when diet and exercise have not brought the hoped-for benefits. It can also be used alone or in combination with other oral hypoglycemic drugs, such as sulfonylureas, or insulin-sensitizers, such as metformin.
Acarbose and Obesity
The use of acarbose in the treatment of obesity is based on the lower absorption of carbohydrates and the hypoglycemic effect, which reduces the release of insulin and the consequent synthesis of lipids. On the other hand, the lack of absorption of these nutrients, especially when they are taken in large quantities, can cause side effects in the intestine, such as meteorism, flatulence and diarrhea; the drug, therefore, associates to the already mentioned positive effects on the accumulation of adipose tissue an important educational action. Unabsorbed carbohydrates are in fact metabolized by the large intestine bacteria and this fermentation gives rise to the aforementioned intestinal disorders; consequently, the patient, precisely because he is afraid of undergoing unwanted manifestations, tends to limit the glucose intake, adopting - thanks to the indications of the health personnel - a healthier diet.
Use and Contraindications
Acarbose should be taken at the beginning of the meal in the doses recommended by the doctor; it is contraindicated in kidney failure, in case of liver function abnormalities, inflammatory bowel diseases, colon ulcers, partial intestinal obstruction, pregnancy, breastfeeding and infancy.
For the complete list of side effects and contraindications for acarbose, refer to the information in the package insert .
