Does Jardiance work as a weight loss drug?

Diabetes, a chronic condition that occurs when the blood sugar level gets too high, may lead to weight loss or weight gain. If your diabetes management goals include losing extra weight, you may focus on eating healthy and working out. You may also look for medicines that can help treat diabetes and manage weight. One such medicine is Jardiance, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes in 2014. It’s not a recently launched medicine, but many people have questions around it amid the popularity of Ozempic, which works as an anti-diabetes and weight loss drug. So, does Jardiance cause weight loss as well?

What is Jardiance?

It is the brand name for empagliflozin, a medication that belongs to a class of drugs called SGLT2 (sodium-glucose co-transporter-2) inhibitors. “It works by preventing the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose back into the blood. Instead, it allows excess glucose to be excreted through the urine,” explains endocrinologist Dr Monika Sharma.

The recommended dose of the medicine, which comes in the form of oral tablets, is 10 mg once daily in the morning. It can be taken with or without food. “Depending on your condition and tolerance, your doctor may increase it to 25 mg once daily,” says the expert.

What is Jardiance used for?

Does Jardiance cause weight loss? Before we answer the question, let us tell you what the medicine is primarily used for:

• Managing type 2 diabetes, as it helps control blood sugar levels by increasing glucose excretion through the pee. The doctor prescribes it along with lifestyle modifications, including workout and diet plans.
• Reducing the risk of hospitalisation or death in people with heart failure, as it can improve heart function by reducing fluid overload. “This is possible due to its diuretic-like effect that can lower the strain on the heart,” says the expert.

It is not used to manage type 1 diabetes.

Does Jardiance cause weight loss?

Anti-diabetes medicines, including Ozempic, can help with weight loss. So, you may ask yourself, “Does Jardiance cause weight loss?” The answer is yes. “It may lead to modest weight loss in some people,” says Dr Sharma. During a study, people who consumed Jardiance alone or with other diabetes medicines lost between 1.8 and 3.2 percent of their body weight. This weight loss was noticed in 24 weeks, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The weight loss effect comes from:

• Glucose excretion: By blocking reabsorption of glucose, Jardiance causes the body to lose excess sugar in the urine. “This also leads to a loss of calories, about 200 kcal per day, which over time contributes to weight loss,” says the expert.
• Mild diuretic effect: Does Jardiance cause weight loss? “Yes, as it causes mild fluid loss through increased urination, which may lead to an initial drop in weight, though this is mostly water weight,” says Dr Sharma.

Does Jardiance cause weight loss like Ozempic?

“Ozempic (semaglutide) is generally more effective for weight loss compared to Jardiance,” says the expert. Research, published in The Journal Of Clinical Endocrinology And Metabolism, suggested that once-weekly semaglutide 1 mg provides a superior reduction in body weight vs once-daily empagliflozin 25 mg in people with type 2 diabetes.

“Ozempic is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist that directly reduces appetite, delays gastric emptying, and reduces food intake,” says the expert. Jardiance, on the other hand, leads to weight loss mainly through calorie loss in urine and mild fluid loss. “So, if losing weight is your primary goal and you don’t have contraindications to GLP-1 receptor agonists, use Ozempic for weight loss instead of Jardiance,” says the expert.

What are the side effects of Jardiance?

Does Jardiance cause weight loss? You have the answer now, but along with it, you should know about its side effects:

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• Increased urination: The anti-diabetes drug causes excess glucose to be excreted through the urine. Since glucose pulls water with it (osmotic diuresis), this leads to increased urine output.
• Genital yeast infections: High levels of glucose in the urine create the perfect environment for fungal growth, especially Candida species in private parts.
• Urinary tract infections: Excess glucose in the urine can feed bacteria, increasing the risk of bacterial infections in the urinary tract. UTI is one of the most common adverse effects of empagliflozin, as per research by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health.
• Dehydration: Due to the osmotic diuresis, the body loses more water. “If fluid intake doesn’t match the fluid lost in pee, it can lead to dehydration, causing dizziness and dry mouth,” says the expert.
• Low blood pressure (hypotension): Loss of fluid from increased urination can lower blood volume, leading to a drop in blood pressure.
• Acute kidney injury: In some people, especially those who are already dehydrated or taking other kidney-impacting medications, the diuretic effect of Jardiance can reduce blood flow to the kidneys, triggering temporary kidney injury.