How Non-Insulin Meds Work

Most often, before turning to insulin to treat your type 2 diabetes, your doctor may recommend a pill or an injectable medication first. The most common option is metformin. It lowers the amount of sugar made by your liver, decreases the amount of sugar absorbed from your gut, and improves how your cells respond to and use sugar.

There are newer, non insulin treatments available. SGLT2 inhibitors stop your kidneys from reabsorbing sugar as they filter your blood, so it releases sugar in your urine. Other oral drugs like DPP-4 inhibitors work by telling your pancreas to release more insulin at mealtimes and reduce the release of glucose from your liver.

GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of injectable medications, help increase your insulin levels when you eat. But these drugs have the added effect of slowing down digestion, limiting how much sugar your liver adds to your bloodstream, and may help make you feel full. These medications not only help you control your blood sugar, they reduce your risk of other complications from diabetes.