No, Jardiance is not a sulfonylurea. Jardiance (empagliflozin) belongs to a completely different drug class called SGLT2 inhibitors. The two classes work through different mechanisms, carry different side effects, and play increasingly different roles in diabetes treatment guidelines.
How Jardiance Works
Jardiance lowers blood sugar by blocking a protein in your kidneys that normally reabsorbs glucose back into your bloodstream. With that protein blocked, excess sugar leaves your body through urine instead of recirculating. This mechanism is entirely independent of insulin, which is the key distinction from sulfonylureas.
Beyond blood sugar control, Jardiance is FDA-approved for several additional uses: reducing the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, treating heart failure in adults, and slowing kidney disease progression. A large clinical trial called EMPA-KIDNEY found that empagliflozin reduced the risk of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death by 28% compared to placebo, along with a 14% reduction in hospitalization for any cause.
How Sulfonylureas Work
Sulfonylureas take a fundamentally different approach. They stimulate your pancreas to release more insulin by targeting receptors on the insulin-producing beta cells. This forces those cells to push insulin into your bloodstream regardless of your current blood sugar level, which is why sulfonylureas carry a well-known risk of hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood sugar).
The most commonly prescribed sulfonylureas include glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), and glyburide (DiaBeta). These medications have been used for decades and tend to be inexpensive, which keeps them in use despite their drawbacks.
Hypoglycemia and Weight Effects
One of the biggest practical differences between these two classes is the risk of low blood sugar. Sulfonylureas are well established as a cause of hypoglycemia because they push insulin release even when your blood sugar is already at a normal level. SGLT2 inhibitors like Jardiance are not typically associated with hypoglycemia when used alone, since they work through the kidneys rather than forcing insulin production. That said, combining Jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin does increase hypoglycemia risk, and doses of those other medications may need to be lowered.
Weight is another area where the two classes diverge sharply. Sulfonylureas are associated with an average weight gain of about 8.8 pounds (4 kilograms) in the first year of treatment. Jardiance, by contrast, tends to promote modest weight loss, partly because you’re excreting excess glucose (and its calories) through urine.
Side Effects Specific to Jardiance
Because Jardiance routes extra sugar through your urinary tract, it creates an environment where yeast and bacteria can thrive. In clinical trials, genital yeast infections occurred in roughly 4% of people taking Jardiance compared to less than 1% on placebo. Women were affected more often than men. Urinary tract infections also increased slightly, with rates in women around 17 to 18% on Jardiance versus 16.6% on placebo.
These infections are generally mild and treatable, but they’re worth knowing about since sulfonylureas don’t carry this particular risk. If you have a history of recurrent yeast infections, this side effect may be more relevant to your decision-making.
Where Each Stands in Treatment Guidelines
The 2025 American Diabetes Association Standards of Care have shifted significantly in favor of SGLT2 inhibitors over sulfonylureas. The guidelines now prioritize medications that provide benefits beyond blood sugar control, particularly for the heart, kidneys, and weight, while minimizing hypoglycemia risk. SGLT2 inhibitors check multiple boxes: they lower blood sugar, protect the heart and kidneys, promote weight loss, and rarely cause low blood sugar on their own.
Sulfonylureas, by comparison, offer no cardiovascular or kidney protection and come with increased risks of hypoglycemia and weight gain. The ADA guidelines note that sulfonylureas have “no additional beneficial effects” on cardiovascular health, kidney function, weight, or liver health. They remain an option primarily when cost or access is a barrier, since they are significantly cheaper than SGLT2 inhibitors.
Quick Comparison
- Drug class: Jardiance is an SGLT2 inhibitor; sulfonylureas are a separate, older class
- Mechanism: Jardiance blocks sugar reabsorption in the kidneys; sulfonylureas force the pancreas to release more insulin
- Hypoglycemia risk: Low with Jardiance alone; significant with sulfonylureas
- Weight effect: Jardiance promotes modest weight loss; sulfonylureas cause an average gain of about 9 pounds in year one
- Heart and kidney protection: Demonstrated with Jardiance; absent with sulfonylureas
- Unique side effects: Jardiance increases risk of genital yeast infections and urinary tract infections; sulfonylureas do not
- Cost: Jardiance is significantly more expensive; sulfonylureas are among the cheapest diabetes medications available