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Acarbose and metformin provide similar HbA1c reduction and modest weight loss in newly diagnosed Chinese type 2 diabetic patients regardless of BMI status.

For newly diagnosed Chinese type 2 diabetics, both acarbose (300mg/day) and metformin (1500mg/day) are effective first-line treatments for lowering HbA1c and achieving modest weight loss, regardless of whether you are normal weight, overweight, or obese. Acarbose may offer slightly better weight loss in overweight individuals, while metformin may be better for fasting blood glucose. The choice depends on individual tolerance and dietary habits, particularly carbohydrate intake.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Acarbose and metformin decreased HbA1c levels similarly regardless of BMI status of Chinese type 2 diabetic patients. Acarbose and metformin resulted in a significant and modest improvement of anthropometric parametres in different BMI status.
Guang Wang et al. · PLoS ONE · 2014

Why this rating

Randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial with 784 subjects.

Source

MARCH2: Comparative Assessment of Therapeutic Effects of Acarbose and Metformin in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Guang Wang et al. · PLoS ONE · 2014

DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0105698

rct · n=784Cited 23×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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