Peer-review started: March 31, 2021
First decision: June 5, 2021
Revised: June 19, 2021
Accepted: December 22, 1021
Article in press: December 22, 1021
Published online: January 15, 2022
Processing time: 285 Days and 11.1 Hours
Acarbose is an agent that has been used to treat type 2 diabetes for about 30 years; it prevents postprandial hyperglycemia by inhibiting carbohydrate digestion in the small intestine. Since incretin-based treatments have been preferred over the last 10 to 15 years, the use of acarbose is not as common in treating type 2 diabetes as before. Some studies have shown that acarbose also produces a weight-loss effect by increasing glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). The positive effect of acarbose on GLP-1, and increasing evidence that it provides cardiovascular protection, suggests that acarbose may again be considered among the first-choice antidiabetic agents, as it was in the 1990s.
Core Tip: The prevention of obesity and reducing cardiovascular risks, together with blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes, are the main components of the treatment’s goals. New studies show that acarbose can provide the expected benefits of an ideal antidiabetic drug by increasing both insulin sensitivity and glucagon-like peptide 1 levels.