The effect of an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor and insulin on glucose metabolism and lipid profiles in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Studies were carried out to assess various ways of improving glycaemic control and lipid profiles of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in whom glucose metabolism was poor. Part or all of the dose of the sulphonylurea that had been used to treat patients in Group 1 ( n = 8) was replaced by an α-glucosidase inhibitor. Symptoms related to hypoglycaemia disappeared and the postprandial blood glucose level was significantly increased ( P < 0.043) but serum lipid levels were not significantly altered and the mean glycosylated haemoglobin level was unchanged. In Group 2 ( n = 10) patients, a large part of the insulin dose was replaced by an α-glucosidase inhibitor. Hypoglycaemia-related symptoms disappeared but there were no significant changes in lipid profiles, postprandial blood glucose or glycosylated haemoglobin levels. The third group of patients ( n = 9) had been treated with insulin alone and were given additional α-glucosidase inhibitor without changing their insulin dose. This did not significantly change their lipid profiles, postprandial blood glucose or glycosylated haemoglobin levels. In Group 4 ( n = 9) the addition of an α-glucosidase inhibitor to the initial sulphonylurea did not produce any significant changes in mean postprandial blood glucose or glycosylated haemoglobin levels. The results for individual patients indicated that the glycosylated haemoglobin levels had improved after the change of treatment only in those patients whose connective peptide immunoreactivity was > 6.0 ng/ml.