Diabetes drug may delay onset of type 2 diabetes
21 June 2002
The diabetes drug acarbose can be used to delay development of type 2 diabetes in people with impaired glucose tolerance, overseas researchers say.
A 3-year, pharmaceutical company-supported study of nearly 1500 people found a 25 per cent reduction in the conversion rate from impaired glucose tolerance to diabetes in people treated with acarbose compared with placebo (The Lancet 2002; 359: 2072-77).
But Dr Don Chisholm, professor of endocrinology at the University of NSW and head of clinical diabetes research at the Garvan Institute, said lifestyle changes were more effective in preventing type 2 diabetes.
'I think that if you view these results with the results of the Diabetes Prevention Study, which looked at the reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin, it could be argued that lifestyle change is much more effective than medication if it can be achieved,' Dr Chisholm said.
'If it can't be achieved, there is an argument for using either metformin or acarbose ... but I don't think acarbose can be prescribed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule for this purpose.'
Dr Chisholm said the most frequent adverse reactions of acarbose were flatulence and diarrhoea, but the risk of serious side-effects was 'virtually absent'.
Last Reviewed: 24 June 2002
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 21/6/02
