Introduction
Sitagliptin (trade name: Januvia or Xelevia) has been approved in Germany since March 2007 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults who can't lower their blood sugar levels enough through exercise and diet alone. It can be combined with other blood-sugar-lowering drugs such as metformin, sulfonylurea or insulin, and is also an option if metformin is not well tolerated.
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects many different parts of the body. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still produces enough insulin at first, but the body’s cells gradually lose the ability to absorb and use the insulin. If the blood sugar levels can't be lowered enough by diet changes and exercise, medications are used to regulate them.
The aim of this treatment in type 2 diabetes is to avoid strong fluctuations in blood sugar levels and the effects of high and low blood sugar. A further goal of this treatment is to prevent long-term complications that may arise if blood sugar levels are too high.