Effect of Acarbose, an Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor, on Serum Lipoprotein Lipase Mass Levels and Common Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treated by Sulfonylurea

• Published in: Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 154 - 159
• Main Authors: Oyama, Tomokazu, Saiki, Atsuhito, Endoh, Kei, Ban, Noriko, Nagayama, Daizi, Ohhira, Masahiro, Koide, Nobukiyo, Miyashita, Yoh, Shirai, Kohji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Japan Atherosclerosis Society 2008
• Subjects: Acarbose; Acarbose - pharmacology; Aged; Body Weight; Carotid Arteries - metabolism; CCA-IMT; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Female; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Lipoprotein Lipase - blood; LPL mass; Male; Middle Aged; Postprandial hyperglycemia; Sulfonylurea Compounds - pharmacology; Tunica Intima - pathology; Tunica Media - pathology; Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• ISSN: 1340-3478; 1880-3873
• DOI: 10.5551/jat.E549

Aim: Previous reports indicate that serum lipoprotein lipase mass levels (LPL mass) and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) are independent predictors of atherosclerotic diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of combination therapy of sulfonylurea and acarbose on LPL mass and CCA-IMT. Methods: Eighty-four patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who were treated with only sulfonylureas and showed CCA-IMT of more than 0.9 mm at baseline, were selected and randomly divided into two groups. One group was administered acarbose 300 mg/day for 12 months (acarbose group, n=41), and the other group was not administered acarbose (non-acarbose group, n=43). Results: After 12 months, a significant increase in LPL mass and a significant decrease in CCA-IMT were observed in the acarbose group (1.024 to 0.964 mm), but no significant changes were observed in the non-acarbose group. In a subgroup analysis of patients with HbA1c improved by 0.5% or more, the increase of LPL mass and decrease of CCA-IMT was significantly greater in the acarbose group than in the non-acarbose group although the changes in HbA1c were similar in two groups. Conclusions: We concluded that reducing postprandial hyperglycemia might increase LPL mass levels and might be useful to prevent macroangiopathy in type 2 diabetic patients treated by sulfonylurea.