Why is this medication prescribed?
Linagliptin is used along with diet and exercise and sometimes with other medications to lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (condition in which blood sugar is too high because the body does not produce or use insulin normally). Linagliptin is in a class of medications called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. It works by increasing the amounts of certain natural substances that lower blood sugar when it is high. Linagliptin is not used to treat type 1 diabetes (condition in which the body does not produce insulin and, therefore, cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood) or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious condition that may develop if high blood sugar is not treated). Linagliptin used in combination with insulin to treat diabetes has not been studied to date.
National Library of Medicine | National Institutes of Health | Department of Health and Human Services
