Abstract: A method for a treatment selected from the group consisting of (a) reducing elevated blood glucose, (b) reducing complications of diseases that are associated with elevations of blood glucose, (c) prevention of diseases that develop as a result of elevated blood glucose, (d) controlling glucose metabolism in a mammal by means of an N-acylated hexosamine which is not effectively metabolized to glucose or glucosamine, (e) preventing the development of the metabolic syndrome, and (f) ameliorating the metabolic syndrome in a mammal that has developed the syndrome as a result of an other condition or conditions, such as ovarian failure or the post-menopausal state, in a mammal, the method comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of a N-acylated-2-glucosamine derivative of the general formula (I): wherein R is an alkyl radical of the general formula CnH2n+1 wherein n is selected from 2-12; and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts, esters and glucosides thereof.