Postprandial glycemic control, hormonal effects and carbohydrate malabsorption during long-term administration of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor miglitol.

This double-blind study was performed to evaluate the relation of the glycemic and hormonal (insulin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide) responses to standardized starch and sucrose meals to signs (H2 exhalation) and subjective symptoms of carbohydrate malabsorption during administration of 100 mg BAYm 1099 (miglitol) t.i.d. over a period of 8 weeks. Two groups of 8 male healthy volunteers received either placebo or verum. Oral sucrose loading tests (50 g) with and without miglitol were performed at day -5, 1, 25 and 53 of the study, starch loading tests (50 g) with and without the inhibitor were carried out at day -2, 4, 28 and 56. Miglitol significantly flattened the glycemic responses to sucrose and starch without evidence of diminished efficacy over the 8-week period. Also the blunting effect of miglitol on serum insulin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide responses and the stimulation of breath hydrogen exhalation proving carbohydrate malabsorption with starch and sucrose remained unchanged over time. Comparing breath hydrogen exhalation, responses were more pronounced after sucrose than after the starch loading tests. Symptoms (bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, cramps) were merely noticeable with starch as the substrate, but clearly present after sucrose. These symptoms were substantially curtailed during continuous drug intake. It is concluded that - irrespective of the substrate (starch/sucrose) - there is no escape of the desired effects of alpha-glucosidase inhibition by miglitol over 8 weeks, but symptoms of gaseousness due to carbohydrate malabsorption may undergo habituation.