What is Farxiga (Dapagliflozin)?
Farxiga also known as dapagliflozin is an oral drug that helps to lower blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. This is achieved by helping your body to filter excess sugar out of the blood. Dapagliflozin belongs to a class of drugs known as SGLT2 inhibitors. SGLT2 proteins are responsible for 90 percent of sugar that is reabsorbed into the bloodstream. The medication allows sugar in the bloodstream to be removed by the kidney and excreted via urine, by inhibiting SGLT2 proteins. Forxiga should not be used to treat type 1 diabetes, a medical condition where the body does not produce any insulin. Note that this medicine is part of a medication treatment program that includes exercise, diet, regular blood sugar testing and weight control.
Does Farxiga help with weight loss?
Many people want to use farxiga to reduce weight even if they don’t have diabetes. However, how rapid is weight loss with Farxiga can vary from person to person. The drug is not yet approved for weight loss. Moreover, this medication will have less effect on weight in people with normal blood sugar, since less glucose will leak into the urine. However, a recent study showed that dapagliflozin helps type 2 diabetic patients lose a few pounds in addition to lowering blood glucose levels. The study showed that dapagliflozin leads to a loss of fat mass, with major reductions in both subcutaneous adipose tissue and abdominal visceral adipose tissue. Even though trials showed that dapagliflozin can lead to moderate weight loss, the exact figure of the pounds lost remains largely unknown.
Doctor’s Recommendation
Do not take Farxiga for weight loss because the weight loss is mainly due to urinating more water and glucose out of the body. Some long-term modest weight loss may be theoretically possible due to urinating the calories from excess glucose, but this is not a substantial enough amount to be considered a factor in the risk-benefit analysis.
Disclaimer: Please note that the contents of this community article are strictly for informational purposes and should not be considered as medical advice. This article, and other community articles, are not written or reviewed for medical validity by Canadian Insulin or its staff. All views and opinions expressed by the contributing authors are not endorsed by Canadian Insulin. Always consult a medical professional for medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment.
