n.
A drug for use in the management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes that reduces plasma glucose by slowing the absorption of starches and sugars from the intestine.
acarbose
Dictionary:
ac·ar·bose (ăk'är-bōs')  |
| 5min Related Video: acarbose |
| Food and Nutrition: acarbose |
A group of complex carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) which inhibit the enzymes of starch and disaccharide digestion; used experimentally to reduce the digestion of starch. It has been marketed for use in association with weight-reducing diet regimes as a ‘starch blocker’, with little evidence of efficacy.
| Dental Dictionary: acarbose |
n
trade name: Precose; drug class: oligosaccharide, glucosidase enzyme inhibitor; action: inhibits α-glucosidase enzyme in the GI tract to slow the breakdown of carbohydrates to glucose; uses: a single drug or in combination with others when diet control is ineffective in controlling blood glucose levels.
| Drug Info: Acarbose |
Brand names: Precose®
Chemical formula:
- Español:
- Acarbosa, Tableta oral
Acarbose Oral tablet
What is this medicine?
ACARBOSE (AY car bose) helps to treat type 2 diabetes. It helps to control blood sugar. Treatment is combined with diet and exercise.
This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
•ketoacidosis
•kidney disease
•liver disease
•stomach or bowel disease, or obstruction
•an unusual or allergic reaction to acarbose, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
•pregnant or trying to get pregnant
•breast-feeding
How should I use this medicine?
Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Swallow the tablets at the start of a main meal. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Do not stop taking this medicine except on the advice of your doctor or health care professional.
If you develop severe vomiting or severe diarrhea that prevents you from eating meals, call your doctor or health care professional for advice.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.
NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
What may interact with this medicine?
•charcoal
•digestive enzymes like amylase and pancreatin
•digoxin
•diuretics
•female hormones, like estrogens or progestins and birth control pills
•isoniazid
•medicines for colds or breathing difficulties like pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine
•medicines for high blood pressure called beta-blockers and calcium channel-blockers
•nicotinic acid
•phenothiazines like chlorpromazine, mesoridazine, prochlorperazine, thioridazine
•phenytoin
•steroid medicines like prednisone or cortisone
•thyroid hormones
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medicine?
Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular check ups. Learn how to check your blood sugar. Keep to your diet and exercise plan while you are taking this medicine.
Know the signs of low blood sugar and teach them to the people around you. In case of low blood sugar, keep a source of glucose with you.
It is important to follow a diabetic diet when taking this medicine. This may help decrease some of the side effects like diarrhea, bloating, and gas. If you are following the diet and you still have severe diarrhea or gas, contact your health care professional.
Wear a medical identification bracelet or chain to say you have diabetes, and carry a card that lists all your medications.
What side effects may I notice from receiving this medicine?
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
•allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
•dark urine
•loss of appetite
•unusually weak or tired
•weight loss
•yellowing of the eyes or skin
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
•bloated feeling
•diarrhea
•stomach gas, rumbling
•stomach pain, upset
This list may not describe all possible side effects. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Where should I keep my medicine?
Keep out of the reach of children.
Store at room temperature below 25 degrees C (77 degrees F). protect from moisture. Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
Last updated: 7/1/2002
Important Disclaimer: The drug information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. This drug information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects and interactions. It should not be construed to indicate that this or any drug is safe for you. Consult your medical professional for guidance before using any prescription or over the counter drugs.
| Veterinary Dictionary: acarbose |
An alpha-glucosidase inhibitor which reduces postprandial hyperglycemia. It has been used in the management of diabetes mellitus.
| Wikipedia: Acarbose |
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Acarbose
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| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
| (2R,3R,4R,5S,6R)-5-{[(2R,3R,4R,5S,6R)-5- {[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4-dihydroxy-6-methyl- 5-{[(1S,4R,5S,6S)-4,5,6-trihydroxy-3- (hydroxymethyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl]amino} tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl]oxy}-3,4-dihydroxy- 6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl]oxy}- 6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2,3,4-triol | |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 56180-94-0 |
| ATC code | A10BF01 |
| PubChem | 444254 |
| DrugBank | APRD00656 |
| ChemSpider | 392239 |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | C25H43NO18 |
| Mol. mass | 645.605 g/mol |
| SMILES | eMolecules & PubChem |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Bioavailability | Extremely low |
| Metabolism | Gastrointestinal tract |
| Half life | 2 hours |
| Excretion | Renal (less than 2%) |
| Therapeutic considerations | |
| Licence data | |
| Pregnancy cat. | |
| Legal status | |
| Routes | Oral |
 (what is this?) (verify) |
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Acarbose is an anti-diabetic drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and, in some countries, prediabetes. It is sold in Europe under the brand name Glucobay (Bayer AG), in North America as Precose (Bayer Pharmaceuticals), and in Canada as Prandase (Bayer AG). It is an inhibitor of alpha glucosidase, an enteric enzyme that releases glucose from larger carbohydrates.
Contents |
Mechanism of action
Acarbose inhibits enzymes (glycoside hydrolases) needed to digest carbohydrates: specifically alpha-glucosidase enzymes in the brush border of the small intestines and pancreatic alpha-amylase. Pancreatic alpha-amylase hydrolyzes complex starches to oligosaccharides in the lumen of the small intestine, whereas the membrane-bound intestinal alpha-glucosidases hydrolyze oligosaccharides, trisaccharides, and disaccharides to glucose and other monosaccharides in the small intestine. Inhibition of these enzyme systems reduces the rate of digestion of complex carbohydrates. Less glucose is absorbed because the carbohydrates are not broken down into glucose molecules. In diabetic patients, the short-term effect of these drugs therapies is to decrease current blood glucose levels: the long term effect is a small reduction in HbA1c level.[1]
Dosing
Since acarbose prevents the digestion of complex carbohydrates, the drug should be taken at the start of main meals. (Taken with first bite of meal.) Moreover, the amount of complex carbohydrates in the meal will determine the effectiveness of acarbose in decreasing postprandial hyperglycemia. Adults are to take doses of 25 mg 3 times daily.
Side effects
Since acarbose prevents the degradation of complex carbohydrates into glucose, the carbohydrates will remain in the intestine. In the colon, bacteria will digest the complex carbohydrates, thereby causing gastrointestinal side effects such as flatulence (78% of patients) and diarrhea (14% of patients).
Since these effects are dose-related, it is generally advised to start with a low dose and gradually increase the dose to the desired amount.
If a patient using acarbose suffers from a bout of hypoglycemia, the patient should eat something containing monosaccharides, such as fruit juice or glucose tablets. Since acarbose will prevent the digestion of complex carbohydrates, starchy foods will not effectively reverse a hypoglycemic episode in a patient taking acarbose.
Hepatitis has been reported with acarbose use. It usually goes away when the medicine is stopped.[2] Therefore liver enzymes should be checked before and during use of this medicine.
Relationship to etiology of Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is currently of unknown etiology, but medication with acarbose clearly suggests[citation needed] , that the primary stimulus leading to development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus may be repeated "carbohydrate overload" - eating monosaccharides and disaccharides in large amounts in one portion and/or eating carbohydrate or protein meals so that the time between the last bite of an evening meal and the first bite of a breakfast of the next day is shorter than 12 hours. This is exactly what is observed in the US population and may be the reason of the high incidence of diabetes mellitus type 2 in the US population (see also Type 2 diabetes mellitus). In this respect, following habits may be contributing to developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus:
1. Consuming fruit homogenates (=juices) instead of raw fruit.
2. Consuming refined grains instead of whole grains.
3. Consuming food containing refined sugar.
References
- ^ Drug Therapy in Nursing, 2nd Edition.
- ^ http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js2268e/2.html#Js2268e.2.1
External links
- Precose (acarbose) Tablet - NIH Information [Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation]
- "Probing the Pancreas" - by Craig D. Reid, Ph.D. (US FDA Consumer Article)
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 | alpha-glucosidase inhibitors |
| Acarbose Oral tablet |
| Antidiabetic Drugs |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Food and Nutrition. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Drug Info. Gold Standard. Copyright © 2008 by Gold Standard. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Acarbose". Read more |
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