Acarbose treatment in obesity: a controlled study.

PubMed ID: 11234255Acarbose is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor which reversibly inhibits oligosaccharidase and disaccharidase at the brush border of the small intestine. The aim of this study was to observe its effectiveness in the treatment of obesity. METHODS: Two groups of 25 obese women were put on a 15 kcal/kg/day low-calorie diet for 12 weeks. One group (the study group) received 150 mg/day acarbose for the first 2 weeks and 300 mg/day acarbose for the remaining 10 weeks. The second group (controls) received no additional treatment. Body weight, BMI, skinfold thickness, serum lipids, OGTT, and insulin and C-peptide responses to OGTT were assessed before and after the study. RESULTS: Body weight, BMI and skinfold thickness decreased significantly in both groups. Basal insulin and triglyceride levels in the study group, total and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the control group decreased significantly. No difference was found between the two groups when these decrements were compared, but the triglyceride level fell more in the control group. CONCLUSION: Additional acarbose therapy is not more beneficial than low-calorie diet therapy alone

Glucose tolerance tests in the singleton and twin pregnancy

Objective. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance that is detected for the first time during pregnancy. Normal pregnancy induces insulin resistance through the diabetogenic effects of placental hormones. Glucose tolerance test results in twin and singleton pregnancies were compared in this study. Subjects and Methods. A total of 360 pregnant women were studied. 200 women (mean age 31.60±2.10 yr) had singleton pregnancies (Group I) and 160 women (mean age 28.20±2.70 yr) had twin pregnancies (Group II). 50- g, 1- hour glucose tolerance test was conducted on the first prenatal visit. An abnormal glucose screen defined as glucose > 140 mg/dL was followed by a 100g, 3-hour glucose tolerance test. Gestational diabetes was defined as the presence of two or more abnormal values during the 3-hour test. Results. Gestational diabetes was found in 4 of the 200 (2%) singleton pregnant women and 8 of the 160 (5%) twin pregnant women. Group I (Singleton) was further divided into two subgroups according to whether the 1-hr plasma glucose level was < 140 mg/dl (Group Ia) or >140 mg/dL (Group Ib). Likewise, Group II pregnancies was also divided into two subgoups on the same basis. Mean screening test glucose levels were found to be 127.8±14.94 mg/dL in Group Ia and 150.8 ± 18.1 mg/dL in Group Ib women. Mean screening test glucose levels of Group IIa subjects was 92.80 ± 18.30 mg/dL while that of Group IIb subjects was 154.8 ± 27.0 mg/dL. Mean 1st h glucose levels of 100-g glucose tolerance test was found to be 131.4 ± 32.58 mg/dL in Group I, and 112.5 ± 39.6 mg/dL in Group II. Mean 2nd h glucose tolerance test values were 133.2 ± 28.8 mg/dL in Group I and 100.6±28.8 mg/dL in Group II. Mean 3rd h glucose tolerance test values were 107.6 ± 23.58 mg/dl in Group I and 72±16.9 mg/dL in Group II. Conclusion: Glucose screening results and 100-g, 3- hour glucose tolerance test values have been found to be lower in twin pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies. Therefore, we suggest that these findings be taken into account in developing diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes in twin or more pregnancies