Lancet
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Combined use of guar and acarbose in reduction of postprandial glycaemia.
Symptoms associated with carbohydrate malabsorption limit the usefulness to diabetics of a powerful glycoside-hydrolase inhibitor (acarbose) which reduces postprandial glycaemia. Addition of a low dose (50 mg) of a acarbose together with 14.5 g guar gum to a breakfast test meal taken by 8 healthy volunteers reduced the mean peak rise in blood-glucose at 30 min by 70%. ⋯ When acarbose was taken alone, 3 of the 8 subjects had troublesome symptoms and the 30 min rise in blood-glucose was reduced by only 28%. Thus, combination of these two agents effectively reduces the rate of carbohydrate absorption without increasing side-effects and may make combined acarbose and guar acceptable in the management of some diabetics.
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Comparative Study
Diarrhoeal mortality in two Bangladeshi villages with and without community-based oral rehydration therapy.
To combat dehydration from diarrhoea in Shamlapur, a village of 7021 people, multiple community-based points were set up by trained volunteers for the distribution of glucose-electrolyte oral rehydration salt (ORS) packets. The comparable adjoining village, Bordil, with a population of 3888, obtained its supply of ORS from Shamlapur. ⋯ There were 8 deaths in Shamlapur caused by diarrhoea and 23 in Bordil, showing an overall case fatality-rate of 0.5% and 2.4%, respectively, and a diarrhoeal mortality-rate per 1000 population of 0.6 and 2.9, respectively. The observation indicated that although it may not be possible to reduce diarrhoeal attack-rates, easy availability of rehydration solution and its early use after village-based training may save many lives, particularly those of children.