Hormonal
In patients with type 2 diabetes treated with acarbose, greater increases in endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels are associated with significantly greater weight loss and BMI reduction.
If you are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and taking acarbose, your body's natural GLP-1 levels play a crucial role in how much weight you lose. The study shows that patients who experienced a larger increase in GLP-1 lost significantly more weight (up to 2.8 kg vs 1.9 kg over 24 weeks). This suggests that acarbose works partly by boosting your natural gut hormones. Adhering to the prescribed titration schedule is important to maximize this hormonal benefit and minimize side effects.
In the acarbose-treated group, there was a significant association between ΔGLP-1 and BMI reductions, and greater ΔGLP-1 across the high, medium, and low ΔGLP-1 groups was correlated with greater weight loss (−2.8, −2.1, and −1.9 kg, respectively) and reductions in fasting plasma glucose... at Week 24.
Why this rating
Post-hoc analysis of a large, randomized, controlled multi-center trial (MARCH) with 784 subjects provides strong observational evidence within the intervention group.
Source
Associations between changes in glucagon‐like peptide‐1 and bodyweight reduction in patients receiving acarbose or metformin treatment
Na Wang et al. · Journal of Diabetes · 2016
DOI 10.1111/1753-0407.12486
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