Acarbose (Precose)
Competitive alpha-glucosidase inhibitor that slows intestinal carbohydrate digestion, blunting postprandial glucose excursions. Acts locally in the gut lumen with negligible systemic absorption (<2% of parent compound). Standard T2DM dosing 25-100 mg TID with first bite of meals. Notable as the most robustly life-extending pharmacological intervention in the NIA Interventions Testing Program (male mice), driving longevity-community interest despite modest HbA1c effect vs. metformin.
Projected serum levels — 50 mg, custom (shown daily)
Maintenance schedule: 50 mg custom (shown daily) (oral).
Modeled steady state after ~7 days: peak ≈ 0 mg, trough ≈ 0 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a 50 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.
Key facts
- Category
- Antidiabetic
- Route modeled
- Oral
- Model confidence
- inferred
- Common dose
- 50 mg
- Suggested maximum
- 300 mg/day
- Reference dose range
- 25–300 mg (single dose)
- Suggested cadence
- custom (shown daily)
Research behind this entry
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Longer lifespan in male mice treated with a weakly estrogenic agonist, an antioxidant, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor or a Nrf2-inducer
NIA Interventions Testing Program study showing acarbose extended median lifespan in male mice by 22% and by 5% in females, making it one of the most reproducible pharmacologic lifespan extenders.
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Effect of intensive blood-glucose control with metformin on complications in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 34)
UKPDS context for alpha-glucosidase inhibitor positioning alongside metformin in T2DM glycemic management, establishing clinical framework for postprandial glucose control.
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Acarbose reduces the risk for myocardial infarction in type 2 diabetic patients: meta-analysis of seven long-term studies
Meta-analysis of 7 long-term trials (2,180 patients) found acarbose significantly reduced risk of myocardial infarction and any cardiovascular event in T2DM, linking postprandial glucose control to CV outcomes.
3 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.