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Therapeutics

Acarbose

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Acarbose is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor approved for type 2 diabetes mellitus. By blocking intestinal carbohydrate breakdown, it blunts postprandial glucose and insulin spikes and shifts substrate to colonic fermentation. In the NIA Interventions Testing Program, acarbose extended median lifespan in male mice and modestly in females, an effect attributed to glycemic smoothing and microbiome shifts. Off-label longevity use in humans is investigational; gastrointestinal side effects (flatulence, diarrhea) limit tolerability.

Sources

  1. Chiasson JL, Josse RG, Gomis R et al.. (2002). Acarbose for prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the STOP-NIDDM randomised trial. *Lancet*doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08905-5
  2. Harrison DE, Strong R, Allison DB et al.. (2014). Acarbose, 17-α-estradiol, and nordihydroguaiaretic acid extend mouse lifespan preferentially in males. *Aging Cell*doi:10.1111/acel.12170