Effect of acarbose on glucose intolerance in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

We evaluated the effect of acarbose, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, on glucose intolerance in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Acarbose was given orally (300 mg/day) for 24 weeks to 20 NIDDM patients. Data in an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were evaluated before and after 24 weeks of treatment using principal component analysis. Acarbose administration significantly reduced the postprandial plasma glucose level over 24 weeks of treatment. Principal component analysis suggested that the patients were separated into responders and non-responders. There was a significant improvement of fasting and postprandial glucose levels after 12 and 24 weeks in the responders, but not in the non-responders. Plasma glucose level following the OGTT improved significantly after 24 weeks of treatment in the responders (Hotelling T2 value = 47.098, P = 0.022500), but not in the non-responders. The immunoreactive insulin level did not change in either group. Results thus suggest that acarbose improved insulin resistance in some patients with NIDDM (responders as classified by principal component analysis).