Jardiance is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. It's taken once daily in the morning, with or without food. Your body absorbs the drug rapidly, reaching its peak level in your system about an hour and a half after you take it. The recommended dose is 10 mg, but it may be increased to 25 mg with your doctor’s recommendation.

Jardiance is from the group of drugs called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors which is often shortened to SGLT2. It is used to help:

• control blood sugar in in patients aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes when used with diet and exercise.
• reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in patients who have type 2 diabetes and also have cardiovascular disease.
• decrease the chance of being admitted into hospital and lowers the chance that you will die from cardiovascular death, for patients with heart failure.

Like other SGLT2 inhibitors, Jardiance lowers blood sugar levels by preventing your kidneys from reabsorbing excess sugar, causing more sugar to be passed through urination.

While it may be prescribed on its own, Jardiance is often given to patients in addition to another type 2 diabetes drug called metformin when metformin is not enough to manage your blood glucose levels. Metformin is typically the first line of treatment for type 2 diabetes. Synjardy is another prescription available that combines the two drugs.

Newer drugs like Jardiance may have additional benefits besides lowering blood sugar levels, such as weight loss and potentially preventing heart problems, noted a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.