PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
ED  - ,
TI  - ▼Acarbose for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
AID  - 10.1136/dtb.1994.32751
DP  - 1994 Jul 01
TA  - Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin
PG  - 51--53
VI  - 32
IP  - 7
4099  - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/32/7/51.short
4100  - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/32/7/51.full
SO  - Drug Ther Bull1994 Jul 01; 32
AB  - Relevant BNF section: 6.1.2.3Acarbose (Glucobay - Bayer) is the first in a new class of oral antidiabetic drugs, the α-glucosidase inhibitors. It is licensed for the treatment of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), either as first-line therapy when dietary measures are insufficient, or as an adjunct to conventional oral therapy where glycaemic control is suboptimal. The manufacturer claims that acarbose "can achieve a new level of blood glucose control in diabetes". In this article we consider whether acarbose offers any real advance.