How Does ACTOS Work? Generally, the body will break down (digest) food into products it can absorb and use. One of those products is glucose, or sugar, the main source of energy for the body. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and is needed to let glucose into the body's cells so it can be processed into energy. For people with type 2 diabetes, the body is able to produce some insulin, but not enough. In addition, the cells have become resistant to the effects of insulin, which means that the body can't respond to the insulin. This condition is called insulin resistance. When tissue, such as muscle, becomes insulin resistant, the body loses its ability to utilize glucose effectively. In an attempt to use the glucose, the body responds by telling the pancreas to produce extra insulin (a condition known as hyperinsulinemia). The extra insulin tries to unlock the cells and force them to take the glucose from the bloodstream. The liver also becomes insulin resistant and responds by overproducing glucose.1 This contributes to high blood glucose (known as hyperglycemia). Eventually, the pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin to compensate for insulin resistance. As a result, glucose levels rise in the blood.2 ACTOS effectively reduces insulin resistance, fasting insulin levels, and blood glucose. ACTOS, along with healthy eating and physical activity, works by helping the body use its naturally produced insulin, or administered insulin in type 2 diabetes, to help use glucose as a fuel and reduce the harmful buildup of glucose.3