GLP-1

Welcome to a new age in diabetes care thanks to the development of new medications in recent years to aid in the management of the disease. One of the most interesting is a new class of drugs called Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) mimetics because they mimic the action of the incretin hormone for which they are named.

Incretin hormones stimulate insulin production within the pancreas after you eat to lower blood glucose levels.

Byetta (Exenatide) and Victoza (Liraglutide) are incretin mimetics, medications (not insulin) that are injected and used to treat Type 2 diabetes.  They come in liquid form in a dosing pen and are injected under the skin.

“These medications have also helped patients lose weight at the same time they are pulling blood sugars down to normal limits,” said Dana Zachery, CNS, a diabetes specialist with Draelos Metabolic Center.

The weight loss seems to occur because the medication delays the emptying of food from the stomach. You feel full longer. So you tend to eat less. In contrast, some older diabetes medications have actually been associated with weight gain, making diabetes even harder to control.

Here is a list of facts about Byetta and Victoza.

• Available by prescription
• Lowers blood glucose levels
• May help with weight loss
• Byetta is injected twice daily (15-45 minutes prior to your two largest meals of the day)
• Victoza is injected once daily, at the same time each day

For more information on the possible benefits and risks associated with Byetta and Victoza, schedule an appointment with your Draelos Metabolic Center healthcare provider.