About ACTOS

How ACTOS works

View an animation that shows how ACTOS works.

Turning food into energy

  • When you eat, food is broken down into different products that can be used by your body.
  • One of those products is glucose, or sugar, the main source of energy for the body.
  • In order to process glucose into energy, the pancreas produces insulin—a hormone that allows cells to absorb glucose (sugar).
  • Insulin is produced by the pancreas and is needed to let sugar into the body’s cells so it can be processed into energy.

Insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes

  • For people with type 2 diabetes, the body cannot produce enough insulin to properly use the sugar in their blood. In addition, their cells lose their sensitivity to insulin—a condition known as insulin resistance.
  • Because some cells, such as muscle cells, are not sensitive to insulin, they cannot absorb blood sugar for the energy they need to function.
  • The body responds to this situation by signaling the pancreas to produce more insulin, causing insulin levels in the blood to become too high. This condition is known as hyperinsulinemia. Unfortunately, even this extra insulin does not allow insulin-resistant cells to absorb blood sugar.
  • Eventually, the pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin to compensate for insulin resistance. The cells in the liver also become insulin resistant and respond by making too much blood sugar.
  • Because blood sugar is not absorbed by the cells, it stays in the blood, causing blood sugar levels to rise—a condition known as hyperglycemia.
  • Over time, high levels of sugar in the blood can result in damage to parts of the body, such as the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart.

Reducing insulin resistance with ACTOS

  • Along with healthy eating and physical activity, ACTOS works by reducing insulin resistance, which helps reduce the harmful buildup of sugar in the blood.
    • ACTOS increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin. When the cells in the body are more sensitive to insulin:
      • They can absorb blood sugar for the energy they need to function properly.
      • The amount of sugar in the blood goes down, because the sugar is absorbed by the cells rather than remaining in the blood.

Please see Important Safety Information, including warnings about heart failure and lactic acidosis, below.

To learn more about ACTOS, please see ACTOS Complete Prescribing Information.

Management of type 2 diabetes should also include nutritional counseling, weight reduction as needed, and exercise.

The major underlying problems in type 2 diabetes are insulin resistance in muscle and fat, decreased insulin production by the pancreas, and increased sugar production by the liver. Other concerns include lipid problems, such as increased triglyceride levels (blood fats), low levels of HDL (good cholesterol), and high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol). Gastrointestinal (stomach) and kidney function are additional considerations.

While ACTOS may provide some lipid benefits, ACTOS is not intended as a substitute for cholesterol medications. The effect of these lipid changes has not been determined.

Next: Meet the ACTOS characters!

Indications and Usage
ACTOS is a prescription medication used with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

ACTOplus met is a prescription medication used with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Duetact is a prescription medication used with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

ACTOS, ACTOplus met, and duetact are not for patients with type 1 “juvenile” diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

ACTOS, ACTOplus met, and duetact have not been studied in children and are not recommended for children under the age of 18.

Important Safety Information
ACTOS, ACTOplus met, and duetact are not for everyone. Certain patients with heart failure should not start taking ACTOS, ACTOplus met, or duetact. ACTOS, ACTOplus met, and duetact can cause new, or worsen, heart failure. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience unusually fast weight gain, fluid retention (swelling), shortness of breath, unusual tiredness, or slow heartbeat.

Warnings Specific to ACTOplus met
Metformin, one of the medicines in ACTOplus met, can cause a rare but serious condition called lactic acidosis (a buildup of an acid in the blood) that can cause death. Lactic acidosis is a medical emergency and must be treated in the hospital.

Because lactic acidosis occurs most frequently in people with kidney problems, ACTOplus met should not be used in people with kidney disease or in people 80 years of age or older whose kidneys do not work properly.

ACTOplus met should not be taken by people with metabolic acidosis.

ACTOplus met should not be taken by people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol.

Talk to your doctor if you are going to have an X-ray procedure using injectable dye and are taking ACTOplus met.

Warning Specific to duetact
The chance of death from serious heart or blood vessel problems may be higher when using a sulfonylurea, an ingredient in duetact.

Taking glimepiride along with having an inherited condition where you don’t produce enough of the enzyme G6PD (G6PD deficiency) can cause hemolytic anemia, which causes your red blood cells to be destroyed too quickly.

Do not take ACTOS, ACTOplus met, or duetact if you have active liver disease. Your doctor should perform a blood test to check for liver problems before you start ACTOS, ACTOplus met, or duetact and periodically thereafter. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, unusual tiredness, loss of appetite, dark urine, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.

If you are of childbearing age, talk to your doctor before taking ACTOS, ACTOplus met, or duetact, as this could increase your chance of becoming pregnant. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed.

Some people taking ACTOS, ACTOplus met, or duetact may experience flulike symptoms, mild-to-moderate swelling of legs and ankles, anemia, and weight gain.

ACTOS may cause low blood sugar when taken in combination with insulin or sulfonylureas. Lightheadedness, shakiness, dizziness, or hunger may mean that your blood sugar is too low. Talk to your doctor if low blood sugar is a problem for you.

Patients with diabetes should have regular eye exams. If you experience vision problems, consult your doctor immediately. Some patients have experienced visual changes while taking ACTOS, ACTOplus met, or duetact.

Some people, particularly women, are at higher risk of having bone fractures while taking pioglitazone.

Other side effects of ACTOS may include cold-like symptoms, headache, sinus infection, muscle pain, tooth disorder, and sore throat.

Other side effects of ACTOplus met may include cold-like symptoms, diarrhea, nausea, headache, urinary tract infection, dizziness, sinus infection, and anemia.

Other side effects of duetact may include cold-like symptoms, headache, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, nausea, and limb pain.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see ACTOS Complete Prescribing Information, including boxed warning and Medication Guide.
Please see ACTOplus met Complete Prescribing Information, including boxed warnings and Medication Guide.
Please see duetact Complete Prescribing Information, including boxed warning and Medication Guide.
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