Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, warnings, and more.
Key takeaways
Jardiance (empagliflozin) and glipizide/metformin are both medications used to manage Type 2 diabetes, but they work in different ways and have distinct characteristics. Jardiance is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that helps lower blood sugar by causing your body to excrete excess sugar through urine. It also has benefits for heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Jardiance is taken once daily and is currently only available as a brand-name medication, with generics expected after 2025. Common side effects include urinary tract infections and yeast infections. On the other hand, glipizide/metformin is a combination of two medications: glipizide, a sulfonylurea that stimulates insulin release from the pancreas, and metformin, a biguanide that reduces sugar production and absorption. This combination is available as a generic and must be taken with meals to avoid low blood sugar. It can cause side effects like diarrhea and low blood sugar, and it carries a risk of lactic acidosis, especially in people with kidney problems. While Jardiance is taken once daily, glipizide/metformin may need to be taken multiple times a day depending on your dose and meal schedule.
Glipizide/metformin combines two diabetes medications into one tablet: glipizide (a sulfonylurea) and metformin (a biguanide). It's approved to treat Type 2 diabetes in adults along with diet and exercise. This medication is typically taken by mouth once or twice a day. Some common side effects of glipizide/metformin can include diarrhea and headache; it isn't likely to cause weight gain or weight loss.
Indications of Jardiance vs. Metaglip
Indications for
•Type 2 diabetes (in addition to diet and exercise) in people age 10 years and older
•Lowering the risk of death due to heart problems in adults with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease
•Lowering the risk of hospitalization and death due to heart problems in adults with heart failure
•Lowering the risk of worsening kidney problems, hospitalization, and death due to heart problems in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD)