Definition

A medication used to help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes by slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates from food.

Example

The doctor prescribed acarbose to help manage my blood sugar levels after meals.

Conversation

Have you heard about acarbose?

Yeah, it's supposed to help with blood sugar levels, right?

Exactly! I read that it slows down the absorption of sugars in the intestine.

That sounds really useful for managing diabetes.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Acarbose is derived from the prefix 'a-' (meaning not) and 'carbo-' (from Latin 'carbo', meaning coal or carbon), combined with the suffix '-ose' (indicating a sugar). The word refers to a substance that is not a sugar or does not break down into sugar easily, hence its use in diabetes management.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('a-') and 'sugar' ('carbo-') to remember that acarbose is a substance that helps prevent sugar absorption.

Visually Confused Words