Diabetes Clinic

Incretin Therapy (for Diabetics)


What are incretins? Incretins, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), are a type of hormone produced in your gut when you consume a meal. They function to regulate energy balance in your body. GLP-1, which is deficient in persons with diabetes, affects blood sugar levels by: increasing insulin produced by your pancreas when glucose levels are high decreasing the release of a hormone called glucagon, which controls the release of glucose from the liver after meals promoting a feeling of fullness after a meal, so you eat less slowing the emptying of the stomach’s contents to allow more time for food absorption, which lowers blood sugar levels after eating Incretin therapies aim to improve the effects of hormones released by your body that control blood sugar. This may be done through treatments known as incretin mimetics, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and GLP-1 analogues.