{"id":51978,"date":"2022-06-10T18:13:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-10T22:13:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=51978"},"modified":"2026-02-10T21:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T02:25:13","slug":"jardiance-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/jardiance-weight-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Jardiance cause weight loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Living with <\/span>Type 2 diabetes mellitus<\/span><\/a> can be challenging. Many people with Type 2 diabetes are also overweight or have other medical conditions. <\/span>Jardiance<\/span><\/a> (empagliflozin) is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that has been FDA-approved to treat Type 2 diabetes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

SGLT2 inhibitors<\/span><\/a>, like Jardiance and similar drugs such as <\/span>Invokana<\/span><\/a> (canagliflozin) and <\/span>Farxiga<\/span><\/a> (dapagliflozin), are a class of diabetes medications that lower blood glucose by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through the urine. Weight loss can be a side effect of SGLT2 inhibitors. This article will discuss <\/span>Jardiance<\/span><\/a> and weight loss: its efficacy, safety, and alternatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Does Jardiance cause weight loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Jardiance does cause weight loss.<\/span><\/p>\n

A stable weight is maintained by balancing caloric intake and energy expenditure, such as when exercising. In Type 2 diabetes, excess calories, in the form of glucose, can lead to fat deposition around the internal organs, such as the liver and pancreas, and in muscle tissue. A key objective during diabetic weight loss is to maximize body fat loss while minimizing the loss of lean tissue such as muscle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Controlled clinical studies show some variability regarding the amount of SGLT2 inhibitor-induced weight loss. <\/span>Clinical trial data<\/span><\/a> published in <\/span>The Lancet<\/span><\/i> shows a 5.5- to 8.82-pound weight loss in participants over the course of a 104-week trial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A recently published <\/span>clinical study<\/span><\/a> investigated the effect of Jardiance on weight loss in patients with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes who were not using other glucose-lowering diabetes medications. Of the 43 patients enrolled, the average weight loss after three months was approximately 6.6 pounds or 3.8% of their initial body weight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, in practice we see four to eight pounds of weight loss on average,\u201d says <\/span>Stephanie Redmond<\/span><\/a>, Pharm.D., a pharmacist who specializes in diabetes care and management. \u201cSome patients would be \u2018hyper-responders’\u2019 and see much more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While four to eight pounds may not seem like a substantial amount of weight loss, it is important to note that according to the <\/span>American Diabetes Association\u2019s (ADA) Diabetes Prevention Program<\/span><\/a>, every two pounds of weight loss is associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of progressing to Type 2 diabetes. For people with Type 2 diabetes, even modest weight reductions have significant health benefits beyond improving blood glucose levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also important to note that the effects of Jardiance alone cannot fully explain the weight loss variability seen among patients in clinical studies. Other factors contributing to weight loss include genetic predisposition, access to and types of food eaten, and exercise regimen and frequency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How does Jardiance work for weight loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Jardiance is an oral antihyperglycemic medication with a unique mechanism of action that can lower blood glucose levels independent of the effects of insulin. Sodium-glucose cotransporters are responsible for glucose reabsorption in the kidney. SGLT2 inhibitors, such as Jardiance, block these transporters, so excess glucose is not reabsorbed into the bloodstream and is excreted in the urine. This mechanism of action is responsible for <\/span>unique side effects of Jardiance<\/span><\/a>, which may include urinary tract infections, female genital yeast infections, and necrotizing fasciitis. This rare but serious bacterial infection causes damage to the tissue under the skin in the area between the anus and genitals (the perineum) in males and females.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jardiance is not an appetite suppressant, i.e., it does not make one feel less hungry. Instead, SGLT2 inhibitors <\/span>promote an average of 75 grams<\/span><\/a> of glucose excretion in the urine per day, which is about 300 excess calories. A loss of 300 calories per day would result in a little over one pound of weight loss per week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who can take Jardiance for weight loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Jardiance has been <\/span>FDA-approved<\/span><\/a> as a supplement to <\/span>diet<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>exercise<\/span><\/a> for adults with Type 2 diabetes. It is available <\/span>in two strengths<\/span><\/a>: 10 mg and 25 mg tablets. The starting dose is 10 mg taken once daily in the morning. For additional blood glucose control in individuals who have been tolerating the medication well, the dose may be increased to 25 mg taken once per day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no approved Jardiance dose for weight loss. The change from 10 mg to 25 mg should not be made to accelerate or promote weight loss but only to safely lower high blood sugar in certain individuals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With obesity affecting up to <\/span>500 million people worldwide<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>several drugs approved by the FDA<\/span><\/a> to treat obesity, healthcare providers are turning to <\/span>off-label drug use<\/span><\/a> for their patients. Until more medications are approved for long-term use, healthcare providers will likely continue to prescribe any medications that may be helpful for their patients in need.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While a modest weight loss may be statistically significant in improving health status, it is usually far from satisfactory in meeting the overall needs and desires of most individuals who need or want to lose weight. If Jardiance is used off-label for weight loss, it is important to follow medical advice and be mindful of side effects while taking the medication. Due to possible side effects, the <\/span>FDA recommends<\/span><\/a> that Jardiance should not be used or should be used with extreme caution in those with the following conditions:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n