Patient/caregiver was educated on Saxagliptin and its mechanism of action as follows:
- Post-meal rise in the blood glucose levels act as stimulus for the release of a natural hormones from the intestine, called Incretins. Incretins in turn stimulate secretion of insulin from the pancreas.
- Insulin helps with shifting the glucose from the blood into the cells of body tissues. This helps with lowering and regulating the blood glucose levels.
- The action of incretins is time-bound. As the blood sugars continue to decrease due to the action of insulin and body metabolism, the active incretins present in circulation are progressively subjected to enzymatic breakdown. Destruction of incretins reduce the stimulus for further insulin secretion from the pancreas, thus preventing the blood sugars from getting too low.
- Some individuals with diabetes are inherently deficient in the secretion of incretins. The deficiency in incretin secretion will contribute to reduced insulin secretion. Consequently, reduced insulin secretion contributes to reduced shifting of blood glucose into the tissues, which keeps the blood sugars high and contribute to symptoms of diabetes.
- Blocking the enzymatic breakdown of incretins in such individuals, can help increase the survival time for incretins in circulation. Saxagliptin is an oral antidiabetic medication that inhibits the enzymatic breakdown of incretins, which allows the incretins to be active for longer period.
- The longer incretins stay in circulation, the longer is the stimulus for insulin secretion, which contributes to overall increase in insulin secretion.
- Increased insulin secretion results in increased shifting of blood glucose into the tissues, which lowers and regulates the blood sugars and contribute to control of diabetes symptoms.
- Saxagliptin can be used alone or in combination with other medications to manage cases of type-2 diabetes.
