Estimation of anti‐diabetes drug metformin in Turkiye using wastewater‐based epidemiology

• Published in: Drug testing and analysis 2024-11, Vol.16 (11), p.1295-1305
• Main Authors: Yavuz Guzel, Evsen, Atasoy Aydin, Aslı, Gören, İsmail Ethem, Unuvar, Necdet, Daglioglu, Nebile
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cities; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Epidemiology; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - analysis; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; metformin; Metformin - analysis; Sociodemographics; socioeconomic factors; type 2 diabetes; Wastewater - analysis; Wastewater - chemistry; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring; wastewater‐based epidemiology (WBE); Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
• ISSN: 1942-7603; 1942-7611; 1942-7611
• DOI: 10.1002/dta.3646

Metformin is the most commonly used drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is dramatically increasing due to factors such as increasing obesity, physical inactivity, and aging of the population. Metformin analysis was carried out in composite wastewater samples seasonally collected from wastewater treatment plants in 10 cities in 2019 and 2020 30 cities in 2021 in Turkiye. Metformin was measured in all wastewater samples, with an average concentration of 97.81 μg/l in 2019, 75.19 μg/l in 2020, and 69.13 μg/l in 2021. This study was utilized to predict metformin usage in different sociodemographic regions in Turkiye using a wastewater‐based epidemiology (WBE) approach. As a result of the analysis, the average metformin consumption in Turkiye was estimated to be 22.2 ± 9.6 [1.9–63.8] g/d/1,000 persons (mean ± SD [range]). Furthermore, these estimates were compared with data for time, sociodemographic characteristics, and patient numbers. Assessing the correlation with estimates and the socioeconomic classes of the cities in question revealed that cities with high‐income levels had the lowest metformin use rate. Finally, the study provides supporting data aiding the development of public health strategies for decreasing the overall load of T2D across Turkiye. A couple of research exists on the status of metformin consumption via wastewater‐based epidemiology. This study determines the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Turkiye by wastewater analysis and reports its status in terms of public health.