Efficacy of acarbose in different geographical regions of the world: analysis of a real-life database

Background Alpha‐glucosidase inhibitors are recommended in some international guidelines as first‐line, second‐line and third‐line treatment options but are not used worldwide due to perceived greater effectiveness in Asians than Caucasians. Methods Data from ten post‐marketing non‐interventional studies using acarbose, the most widely used alpha‐glucosidase inhibitor, from 21 countries, provinces and country groups were pooled. Effects on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were analysed for four major ethnicity/region groups (European Caucasians and Asians from East, Southeast and South Asia) to identify differences in the response to acarbose. Results The safety and efficacy populations included 67 682 and 62 905 patients, respectively. Mean HbA1c in the total population decreased by 1.12 ± 1.31% at the 3‐month visit from 8.4% at baseline (p