Acarbose (
Precose®) is a prescription medication that is used to treat
type 2 diabetes (also known as non-insulin-dependent
diabetes or adult-onset diabetes).
Acarbose is made by Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Acarbose is part of a class of
diabetes drugs called alpha glucosidase inhibitors. The medicine slows the digestion of carbohydrates from the diet, which helps to decrease the rise in blood sugar that usually happens after meals.
There have been several studies looking at the effects of acarbose for type 2 diabetes.
Acarbose and Hemoglobin A1c
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a test used to measure long-term blood sugar control. For people without diabetes, HbA1c results are usually less than 6 percent. People with diabetes usually have higher results. In one study, people taking acarbose lowered their HbA1c by 0.44 percent to 1 percent on average.
Studies have shown that the higher the HbA1c, the greater the chance of developing long-term problems related to diabetes. Some of these problems include
heart disease,
diabetic retinopathy,
diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic nephropathy. By getting blood sugar levels under control with acarbose, it may be possible to decrease the chances of developing these
diabetes complications.
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