Trial reportPloS one2014

MARCH2: comparative assessment of therapeutic effects of acarbose and metformin in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients.

Guang Wang, Jia Liu, Ning Yang, Xia Gao, Hui Fan, Yuan Xu, Wenying Yang

Open access · goldFull text readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2014. The graph read 1 number from its abstract, feeding 2 cells of the map, but none could be read as for or against, so it casts no vote. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

1number the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

Read, but not usablea number the graph found but could not read as for or against

Blood pressurecomparator not stated · t2dfeeds 2 cells of the map
decrease -2.70P<0.05
Acarbose reduced diastolic blood pressure by about 2.2-3.2 mmHg in overweight and obese patients (P<0.05), and metformin decreased diastolic blood pressure of obese patients by about 2.7 mmHg (P<0.05).

clause the extractor read what became the number

2 · Its place on the map

Where it lands on the map

Rows are treatments, columns are outcomes. The coloured squares are the cells this paper feeds, coloured by the vote it casts there. Click one to jump to what this paper adds to it.

supports the treatmentfavours the comparatorno clear differenceread, but no usable result
3 · What it changes

What it adds to each cell

For every cell the paper feeds: the belief in the claim with and without this paper, and this paper's estimate drawn against every other readable study in the cell. The ringed dot is this paper.

Metformin×blood pressure

No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →

6 readable studies in this cell: 2 favour the treatment, 3 find no difference, 1 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.40contested · 1 family supports, 1 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
0 · no effect

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

Other glucose-lowering×blood pressure

No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →

No other readable study in this cell yet. This paper is the evidence.

Belief with this paperNo claim has been compiled for this cell yet.
4 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

5 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Metformin or Acarbose Treatment Significantly Reduced Albuminuria in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Low-Grade Albuminuria.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2018
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
6 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

7 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Guang WangDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, P. R. China.
Jia LiuDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, P. R. China.
Ning YangDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, P. R. China.
Xia GaoDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, P. R. China.
Hui FanDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, P. R. China.
Yuan XuDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, P. R. China.
Wenying YangDepartment of Endocrinology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, P. R. China.
Capital Medical University · CNBeijing Chao-Yang Hospital · CNChina-Japan Friendship Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

8 · The paper itself

Abstract

The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.

backgroundThe data of MARCH (Metformin and AcaRbose in Chinese as the initial Hypoglycaemic treatment) trial demonstrated that acarbose and metformin have similar efficacy as initial therapy for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reduction in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether the therapeutic efficacy was diversified under different body mass index (BMI) status.

methodsAll 784 subjects were divided into normal-weight group (BMI<24 kg/m2), overweight group (BMI 24-28 kg/m2) and obese group (BMI≥28 kg/m2). Patients were assigned to 48 weeks of therapy with acarbose or metformin, respectively. The clinical trial registry number was ChiCTR-TRC-08000231.

resultsThe reduction of HbA1c levels and the proportion of patients with HbA1c of 6.5% or less were similar in the three groups after acarbose and metformin treatment. In overweight group, fasting blood glucose (FBG) after metformin treatment showed greater decline compared to acarbose group at 48 weeks [-1.73 (-1.99 to -1.46) vs. -1.37 (-1.61 to -1.12), P<0.05), however the decrease of 2 h post-challenge blood glucose (PBG) after acarbose treatment at 48 weeks was bigger compared to metformin group [-3.34 (-3.83 to-2.84) vs. -2.35 (-2.85 to -1.85), P<0.01]. Both acarbose and metformin treatment resulted in a significant decrease in waist circumference, hip circumference, weight and BMI in the three groups (all P<0.05).

conclusionAcarbose and metformin decreased HbA1c levels similarly regardless of BMI status of Chinese type 2 diabetic patients. Acarbose and metformin resulted in a significant and modest improvement of anthropometric parametres in different BMI status. Thus, acarbose treatment may contribute a similar effect on plasma glucose control compared to metformin, even in obesity patients.

trial registrationChiCTR.org ChiCTR-TRC-08000231.

Indexed as

AcarboseAdultBlood GlucoseBody Mass IndexDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2FastingGlycoside Hydrolase InhibitorsHumansHypoglycemic AgentsMetforminMiddle AgedTime FactorsAcarboseBlood GlucoseGlycoside Hydrolase InhibitorsHypoglycemic AgentsMetformin

Identifiers

PMID25148570
PMCPMC4141807
OpenAlexW2078154450

What Socratic holds

Textfull text, public
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.