Acarbose

If you have type 2 diabetes, your healthcare provider may prescribe acarbose to help control your blood sugar levels. Acarbose works by slowing the digestion of carbohydrates from the diet, which helps to decrease the rise in blood sugar that usually happens after meals. Some of the conditions you should let your healthcare provider know about prior to taking acarbose include kidney or liver problems, inflammatory bowel disease, and any allergies you may have. A few common side effects of acarbose include gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain (or stomach pain).

 

What Is Acarbose?

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).
 
(Click What Is Acarbose Used For? for more information on what acarbose is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Who Makes Acarbose?

Acarbose is made by Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
 

How Does Acarbose Work?

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.
 

Acarbose Effects

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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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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