What is Actos?

Since its introduction to the prescription drug market in 1999, Actos has been a hot seller and highly recommended medication. In fact in 2010, it was the 10th most prescribed drug in America, with over 2.3 million prescriptions being written for patients.

Actos (pioglitazone) is a once-a-day prescription medication pill that can help improve blood sugar control for adults with type 2 diabetes (condition in which the body fails to use insulin normally and so is unable to control the level of sugar in the blood), but not for individuals with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. High blood fats (triglycerides) and low levels of positive cholesterol (HDL-C) can be found in many individuals with type 2 diabetes. Actos not only can lower blood sugar by increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin, but also can combat the aforementioned ailments and has little effect on the crucial total cholesterol levels (it is not a substitute for cholesterol medication). For the most part, Actos is prescribed to individuals that have trouble regulating their blood sugar through normal exercise or dieting.