What type of drug is Precose?

Precose (acarbose tablets) is an oral alpha-glucosidase inhibitor used to treat type 2 diabetes. Precose is sometimes used in combination with insulin or other diabetes medications you take by mouth. Precose is available in generic form.

What kind of drug is acarbose?

Acarbose belongs to a class of drugs called alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. It works by slowing the action of certain enzymes that break food down into sugars. This slows down digestion of carbohydrates to keep your blood sugar from rising very high after you eat.

Is acarbose an insulin?

No, acarbose is not a type of insulin and has no effect on the amount of insulin in your body. Instead it lowers blood sugar by slowing the amount of sugar absorbed from the food you eat.

What is the difference between metformin and acarbose?

The results showed statistically significant differences, that metformin reduced HbA1c levels by 0.38% more than acarbose (WMD, -0.38%, 95%CI, -0.736% to -0.024%; Table 2). Thus, the indirect comparison suggested that glucose lowering effect of metformin was superior to that of acarbose.

When should I take Precose?

How to use Precose. Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually 3 times daily with the first bite of a meal. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment.

Can you take metformin and acarbose together?

With the increasing promotion of medicine combinations, various studies have provided gradually increasing evidence that acarbose combined with metformin treatment has a higher efficacy than monotherapy (17–19).

What is acarbose function?

Acarbose works by slowing the action of certain chemicals that break down food to release glucose (sugar) into your blood. Slowing food digestion helps keep blood glucose from rising very high after meals.

Does acarbose affect blood pressure?

We found that acarbose effectively attenuates the fall in blood pressure after meals in patients with severe autonomic failure, suggesting a potential therapeutic use in the treatment of PPH.

Why is acarbose not used?

Acarbose is not a cure for diabetes, nor is it a substitute for diet, exercise, oral hypoglycemic agents, or insulin. Adverse effects are gastrointestinal and can be diminished by starting with an initial dosage of 25 mg tid.

Does Precose cause weight gain?

Precose (acarbose) helps control meal-time blood sugar levels without causing weight gain.

What are the side effects of Precose?

Common side effects may include: stomach discomfort, gas, bloating; mild diarrhea; or. mild skin rash or itching.

How effective is acarbose for diabetes?

Results from trials of acarbose, metformin and rosiglitazone in prediabetic populations are summarised in Table 1. The Study to Prevent Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (STOP-NIDDM) found that treatment with acarbose reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 36% [7].

Can metformin and acarbose be taken together?

Who should not use acarbose?

Acarbose is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.

Can acarbose cause heart problems?

Acarbose treatment was associated with a significant reduction in body weight, BMI, and waist circumference, in blood pressure, in 2-hour plasma glucose concentration, and in triglyceride levels. All of these factors have already been shown to be associated with an increased risk of CVD and hypertension.

How much weight can you lose on acarbose?

After one year, subjects on acarbose had lost 0.46±0.28 kg, which differed significantly from the 0.33±0.25 kg weight gain on placebo (P=0.027). The difference in weight change between acarbose and placebo did not differ significantly in the different treatment strata.

What should you avoid when taking acarbose?

Avoid taking a digestive enzyme such as pancreatin, amylase, or lipase at the same time you take acarbose. These enzymes can make it harder for your body to absorb acarbose. Products that contain digestive enzymes include Arco-Lase, Cotazym, Donnazyme, Pancrease, Creon, and Ku-Zyme.

Is acarbose safe?

Acarbose is safe and well tolerated, and is associated with a low incidence of gastrointestinal adverse effects; it is well accepted for the treatment of diabetes in Chinese patients. Acarbose is a viable choice for use as an initial therapy in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed T2DM.

Is acarbose effective?

Overall, acarbose was shown to provide significantly more weight-loss by an average of 0.52 kg (95% CI −0.78 to −0.25) as opposed to placebo (p=0.0001), and, in the Eastern population, acarbose caused significant weight loss of 1.20 kg (95% CI −1.73 to −0.68) compared with placebo (p<0.05), whereas in the Western group …