One part of managing type 2 diabetes is managing A1C

Your body needs insulin to use sugar for energy

The hormone insulin helps your body use or store the blood sugar it gets from food. Read more about type 2 diabetes below or go to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) website for more information.

If you have type 2 diabetes:

Your body doesn't make enough insulin, doesn't use insulin well, or both.

Since the sugar is not being used for energy, it stays in your blood.

This leads to high blood sugar. Over time, this could hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels.

What is the A1C test?

Chart explaining what your A1c numbers mean — A normal A1c level is below 5.7%. A level of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes. Type 2 diabetes A1C levels are 6.5% and above.

What the A1C test does

The A1C test measures your average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months. The higher your blood sugar or A1C level, the higher your risk of developing diabetes-related problems. Usually, people with type 2 diabetes get an A1C test at least twice a year.

What the results mean

A1C levels are numbers in the form of a percentage. A high percentage means a high blood sugar level. According to the ADA, the goal for most adults with type 2 diabetes is an A1C level that is less than 7%.

Your doctor will help you set your individual goal.

What does weight have to do with type 2 diabetes?

One thing that can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes is being overweight. It can lead to your body having a harder time using the insulin it makes because it has trouble using sugar in the blood.

Your pancreas keeps making insulin, but your body doesn't respond to insulin like it used to.

Losing weight could help improve how your body responds to the insulin it makes and help lower blood sugar.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), sometimes, losing just 5%-7% of your body weight is enough to improve diabetes control. For someone who weighs 200 lb, this is a weight loss of just 10-15 lb.

How can I manage my type 2 diabetes?

You and your doctor will work together to make an appropriate treatment plan for your type 2 diabetes. This can include eating healthy, exercising more, and possibly taking a diabetes medication. These changes may help you reach a healthier blood-sugar level and weight.

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SAFETY SUMMARY WITH WARNINGS

Warnings -

Mounjaro may cause tumors in the thyroid, including thyroid cancer. Watch for possible symptoms, such as a lump or swelling in the neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your healthcare provider.

Do not use Mounjaro if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).
Do not use Mounjaro if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
Do not use Mounjaro if you are allergic to it or any of the ingredients in Mounjaro.

Mounjaro may cause serious side effects, including:

Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Mounjaro and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your risk for getting low blood sugar may be higher if you use Mounjaro with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, sweating, confusion or drowsiness, headache, blurred vision, slurred speech, shakiness, fast heartbeat, anxiety, irritability, or mood changes, hunger, weakness and feeling jittery.

Serious allergic reactions. Stop using Mounjaro and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat, problems breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching, fainting or feeling dizzy, and very rapid heartbeat.

Kidney problems (kidney failure). In people who have kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems to get worse. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration.

Severe stomach problems. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Mounjaro. Tell your healthcare provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go away.

Changes in vision. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Mounjaro.

Gallbladder problems. Gallbladder problems have happened in some people who use Mounjaro. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get symptoms of gallbladder problems, which may include pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice), and clay-colored stools.

Common side effects

The most common side effects of Mounjaro include nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion, and stomach (abdominal) pain. These are not all the possible side effects of Mounjaro. Talk to your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or doesn’t go away.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects. You can report side effects at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Before using Mounjaro

Your healthcare provider should show you how to use Mounjaro before you use it for the first time.
Talk to your healthcare provider about low blood sugar and how to manage it.
If you take birth control pills by mouth, talk to your healthcare provider before you use Mounjaro. Birth control pills may not work as well while using Mounjaro. Your healthcare provider may recommend another type of birth control for 4 weeks after you start Mounjaro and for 4 weeks after each increase in your dose of Mounjaro.

Review these questions with your healthcare provider:

Do you have other medical conditions, including problems with your pancreas or kidneys, or severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems digesting food?
Do you take other diabetes medicines, such as insulin or sulfonylureas?
Do you have a history of diabetic retinopathy?
Are you pregnant, plan to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to breastfeed? It is not known if Mounjaro will harm your unborn baby or pass into your breast milk.
Do you take any other prescription medicines or over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, or herbal supplements?

How to take

Read the Instructions for Use that come with Mounjaro.
Use Mounjaro exactly as your healthcare provider says.
Mounjaro is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) of your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm.
Use Mounjaro 1 time each week, at any time of the day.
Do not mix insulin and Mounjaro together in the same injection.
You may give an injection of Mounjaro and insulin in the same body area (such as your stomach area), but not right next to each other.
Change (rotate) your injection site with each weekly injection. Do not use the same site for each injection.
If you take too much Mounjaro, call your healthcare provider or seek medical advice promptly.

Learn more

Mounjaro is a prescription medicine. For more information, call 1-833-807-MJRO (833-807-6576) or go to www.mounjaro.com.

This summary provides basic information about Mounjaro but does not include all information known about this medicine. Read the information that comes with your prescription each time your prescription is filled. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about Mounjaro and how to take it. Your healthcare provider is the best person to help you decide if Mounjaro is right for you.

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Mounjaro^® and its delivery device base are registered trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates.

INDICATION

Mounjaro^® (mown-JAHR-OH) is an injectable medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose).

It is not known if Mounjaro can be used in people who have had inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Mounjaro is not for use in people with type 1 diabetes. It is not known if Mounjaro is safe and effective for use in children under 18 years of age.