Type 2 Diabetes - When The Most Commonly Prescribed Drug Is Not Enough to Lower Blood Sugars

Metformin is the usual drug of choice for new cases of Type 2 diabetes - but sometimes it is not enough. When that happens saxagliptin, dapagliflozin, or a combination of both can be added. In October 2014 the journal of the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Care, reported the results of research comparing each drug and combination therapy as additives to metformin.Investigators at the Dallas Diabetes and Endocrine Center, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and AstraZeneca in the USA, compared the three types of treatment in adults with HbA1c levels of at least 8 and no greater than 12...

176 received their usual metformin plus saxagliptin,

179 received dapagliflozin plus their usual metformin, and

179 received both new additions plus their usual metformin dose.
It was found after 24 weeks of treatment...

diabetic patients taking both saxagliptin and dapagliflozin improved the most, lowering their HbA1c levels an average of 1.5 percent.

those diabetics given saxagliptin with metformin improved an average of.9 percent, and

diabetics taking dapagliflozin along with metformin improved an average of 1.2 percent.
Forty-one percent of diabetics in the program taking triple therapy achieved...

HbA1c levels under 7 percent.

18 percent of the participants taking saxagliptin with metformin achieved HbA1c levels under 7 percent, and

22 percent of the diabetics taking dapagliflozin with metformin had HbA1c levels under 7 percent



by the end of the study. About 1 percent of the Type 2 diabetics taking all three medications were diagnosed with urinary and genital infections. Low blood sugar was rare, and none of the diabetic participants had dangerously low blood sugar.Metformin is in the biguanide class of antidiabetic drugs. It works by lowering the amount of sugar made by the liver. In Type 2 diabetes the liver makes too much sugar, and metformin reduces its production by about a third. Saxagliptin is an enzyme that also causes the liver to slow down production of sugar, as well as increasing insulin levels after meals. Since it works when blood sugar levels are high, saxagliptin seldom causes blood sugar levels to go down too low. Dapagliflozin works by causing the kidneys to release more sugar into the urine.The best way to control your blood sugar levels is to eat a healthful vegan diet and exercise daily. Losing extra fat is so helpful many diabetics are able to achieve normal blood sugar levels with the help of achieving normal weight. When diet and exercise are not enough, the oral antihypoglycemics are the next best to add to your healthy living plan.