Key takeaways
Jardiance (empagliflozin) and acarbose are both medications used to help control blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, but they work in different ways and have different side effects. Jardiance is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that helps your kidneys remove excess sugar through urine and is taken once daily. It also has benefits for heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Acarbose, on the other hand, is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor that slows down the digestion of carbohydrates in your gut, and it must be taken with the first bite of each main meal, three times a day. Jardiance can cause urinary tract infections and yeast infections, while acarbose is more likely to cause gas and diarrhea. Jardiance is currently only available as a brand-name medication, whereas acarbose is available as a lower-cost generic. Additionally, Jardiance can lead to weight loss, whereas acarbose is less likely to cause hypoglycemia when used alone.
