Effect of an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor combined with sulphonylurea treatment on glucose metabolism in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Ten patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who were being treated with a sulphonylureal compound but whose glucose metabolism needed further improvement were given a combination of their usual sulphonylurea treatment and an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. Treatment with the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor (0.6 mg/day), in addition to glibenclamide (7.5 mg/day in two patients; 5.0 mg/day in four; 2.5 mg/day in one) or tolbutamide (500 mg/day in three patients) for 4 weeks, improved hyperglycaemia after meals from 237-247 mg/dl to 192 mg/dl, and reduced glycosylated haemoglobin levels from 8.5-8.6% to 7.9% without causing hypoglycaemia.