OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of combination therapy of acarbose and Liuwei Nengxiao capsule (LWNXC) in improving senile postprandial hyperglycemia and insulin sensitivity.

METHODSSeventy-four patients with simple postprandial hyperglycemia were divided into the control group and the treated group, 37 in each group, who were treated with acarbose alone and the combination therapy respectively for 1 month, and the changes on 2 hrs postprandial glucose (2 hPG), blood pressure (BP), blood lipid, body mass index (BMI), insulin functional index as well as the adverse reaction of acarbose in the two groups were observed.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the levels of 2 hPG, fasting blood glucose (FBG), BMI, total cholesterol and lowdensity lipoprotein-cholesterol were improved in the treated groups more significantly than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Insulin sensitive index (ISI) and insulin resistance were improved in the two group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but the improvement in the treated group was more significant than that in the control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, the adverse reactions were less in the treated group than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONThe combination therapy of acarbose and LWNXC could not only improve the postprandial hyperglycemia, but also markedly increase the insulin sensitivity, and shows obvious improving effect on parameters of blood lipid, BP and BMI. The adverse reaction could be evidently reduced by combined use with LWNXC.