Diabetes Channel
Topics
Medications
Quicklinks
Related Channels
How Does Januvia Work?
If you have type 2 diabetes, your healthcare provider may recommend once-daily treatment with Januvia® (sitagliptin). The medication is available by prescription only and comes in the form of tablets. In studies, Januvia lowered fasting blood sugar by 13 mg/dL on average. It was also shown to lower postprandial blood sugar (blood sugar after a meal) by 49 mg/dL on average.
But how does it work? Januvia helps increase the level of incretin hormones in the body -- this, in turn, raises insulin production in response to meals and decreases the amount of glucose (sugar) that the liver produces.
(For more details on how this drug works, click Januvia. This article also offers a more in-depth overview of the medicine's uses, dosing guidelines, effects in the body, and possible side effects.)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD