What is Sukkarto SR?
Sukkarto SR is a tablet used to treat hyperglycaemia, also called a hyper. It's prescribed when diet and exercise alone haven't worked well enough to manage your blood sugar levels over a period of three to six months.
Hyperglycaemia is when your blood sugar (glucose) levels are higher than they should be. To diagnose it, doctors usually look at things like your fasting blood sugar levels, oral glucose tolerance tests, or HbA1c levels. These are all criteria to diagnose diabetes and might vary slightly depending on which country you live in. So it's best to talk to a clinician for an accurate diagnosis and advice on managing diabetes.
When you don't meet the criteria for a diabetes diagnosis, but still have high blood glucose levels, it's called non-diabetic hyperglycaemia. It can be a warning sign of a potential progression to diabetes, and lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise may help manage it. You’re especially at risk if you have other conditions like high blood pressure, are over 40 years old, have too much fat in your blood, or had diabetes when you were pregnant.
How does Sukkarto SR work?
Sukkarto SR contains an active ingredient called metformin, which belongs to a class of drugs known as biguanides. It reduces glucose production in the liver and helps your gut use sugar more effectively.
It does this in a number of ways (and there are still some that experts are actively researching). One way is by interfering with the liver's energy production within its tiny powerhouses called mitochondria. Within these structures, it triggers a protein known as AMPK. This protein helps your body respond better to insulin, a hormone that controls your blood sugar levels.
Sukkarto SR also lowers the levels of a molecule called cAMP. This, in turn, reduces the activity of certain enzymes responsible for making sugar in your liver. Basically, it helps to improve how your body handles sugar and decreases sugar production in your liver.
Sukkarto SR is a slow release tablet, also called an extended-release tablet. This means it’s designed to work slowly and steadily in your body over time. These tablets maintain a steady amount of the medication in your body, which makes the treatment easier to manage and reduces how often you need to take them. This is especially useful if you have a long-term condition that needs ongoing treatment.
Does Sukkarto SR cause weight loss?
Sukkarto SR can have varying effects on different individuals, but there have been reports of people losing weight while on metformin, its active ingredient. It’s been found to increase the levels of a hormone called growth differentiation factor (GDF). Increased GDF might make you feel less hungry and, as a result, lead to some weight loss.
But even if you do lose weight, don’t expect a drastic change. In a study which involved 154 non-diabetic people with obesity, those taking metformin experienced a mean weight loss of 5.8kg (around 12 pounds), while the untreated group gained an average of 0.8kg (approximately 1.7 pounds).
What doses of Sukkarto SR are there?
Sukkarto SR comes in three strengths: 500mg, 750mg and 1000mg. The dosage you’ll be prescribed depends on your blood glucose levels and other aspects related to your medical history. Our clinicians will typically advise you to take one tablet a day during the first week, and then increase gradually every 7 days, up to a maximum of 2000mg per day.
So if you take the 500mg tablet, start with one tablet daily. After the first week, you can gradually increase by one tablet every 7 days if you tolerate it well, up to a maximum of two tablets twice a day.
This page was medically reviewed by
Dr Daniel Atkinson, GP Clinical Lead on November 02, 2023. Next review due on November 02, 2025.