Diabetes PubMed

Our results suggest that acarbose improves postprandial endothelial function by improvement of postprandial hyperglycemia, independent of postprandial hyperinsulinemia. Acarbose may thus have more beneficial effects on postprandial endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes than nateglinide.

The STOP-NIDDM risk-score is a simple and validated tool that can identify high-risk individuals with IGT who would benefit most from type 2 diabetes or CVD prevention strategies, such as lifestyle management or early acarbose treatment.

These findings suggest that acarbose is a promising metabolic modifier that could reduce the risk of CVD in patients with the metabolic syndrome.

The STOP-NIDDM Trial demonstrated that, in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), acarbose treatment was effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. It also suggested that it was associated with a reduction in hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Even a single loading of test meal was shown to impair endothelial function in type 2 diabetic patients, and the postprandial endothelial dysfunction was improved by a prior use of acarbose. Acarbose might reduce macrovascular complication by avoiding endothelial injury in postprandial hyperglycemic status.