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Area Under the Curve (AUC): Difference between revisions
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[[File:AUC.png|right|frameless]] | |||
The '''Area Under the Curve''' ('''AUC''') is a critical parameter in pharmacokinetics, representing the integral of the drug concentration-time curve. It quantifies the total drug exposure over time, providing vital information on drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. | |||
===Definition=== | |||
<math>\text{AUC} = \int_0^\infty C(t) \,dt </math> | |||
Where: | |||
*<math>C(t)</math> is the drug concentration at time <math>t</math> | |||
AUC offers insight into the extent and rate of drug absorption, making it a fundamental measure to assess bioavailability and bioequivalence of drugs. | |||
==Types of AUC== | |||
Several types of AUC values exist, each serving unique purposes in pharmacokinetic studies: | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! Type | !Type | ||
! Description | !Description | ||
! Application | !Application | ||
|- | |- | ||
| <math>\text{AUC}_{\text{last}}</math> | |<math>\text{AUC}_{\text{last}}</math> | ||
| Area under the concentration-time curve up to the last measurable concentration. | |Area under the concentration-time curve up to the last measurable concentration. | ||
| Used to determine the total exposure of the body to the drug until the last measurable concentration. | |Used to determine the total exposure of the body to the drug until the last measurable concentration. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| <math>\text{AUC}_{0\to\infty}</math> | |<math>\text{AUC}_{0\to\infty}</math> | ||
| Represents the total area under the concentration-time curve from administration to infinity. | |Represents the total area under the concentration-time curve from administration to infinity. | ||
| Provides an estimate of the total exposure of the body to a drug. Useful for evaluating the overall efficacy of a drug. | |Provides an estimate of the total exposure of the body to a drug. Useful for evaluating the overall efficacy of a drug. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| <math>\text{AUC}_{0\to t}</math> | |<math>\text{AUC}_{0\to t}</math> | ||
| Area under the concentration-time curve from the administration up to a specific time 't'. | |Area under the concentration-time curve from the administration up to a specific time 't'. | ||
| Useful for focusing on drug exposure within specific time windows. | |Useful for focusing on drug exposure within specific time windows. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| <math>\text{AUC}_{0\to24}</math> | |<math>\text{AUC}_{0\to24}</math> | ||
| Area under the concentration-time curve from administration up to 24 hours. | |Area under the concentration-time curve from administration up to 24 hours. | ||
| Often used when drugs are administered once a day. | |Often used when drugs are administered once a day. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| <math>\text{AUC}_{\tau}</math> | |<math>\text{AUC}_{\tau}</math> | ||
| Area under the concentration-time curve over a dosing interval 'tau', for example in repeated dosing every 12 or 24 hours. | |Area under the concentration-time curve over a dosing interval 'tau', for example in repeated dosing every 12 or 24 hours. | ||
| Helpful in evaluating steady-state pharmacokinetics in multiple dosing regimens. | |Helpful in evaluating steady-state pharmacokinetics in multiple dosing regimens. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| <math>\text{AUC}_{\text{micro}}</math> | |<math>\text{AUC}_{\text{micro}}</math> | ||
| Utilizes microdosing studies and mass spectrometric analyses to determine the AUC for drugs administered in very low concentrations. | |Utilizes microdosing studies and mass spectrometric analyses to determine the AUC for drugs administered in very low concentrations. | ||
| Suitable for studying the pharmacokinetics of drugs at subtherapeutic, micro-level doses. | |Suitable for studying the pharmacokinetics of drugs at subtherapeutic, micro-level doses. | ||
|} | |} | ||
===Application=== | |||
AUC is indispensable in pharmacology and drug development: | |||
*It is pivotal for determining the dosage and frequency of drug administration. | |||
*It aids in evaluating the bioequivalence of generic drugs to brand-name counterparts. | |||
*It enables researchers to study the pharmacokinetics of new drug candidates. | |||
===See Also=== | |||
* [[Wikipedia:Area under the curve (pharmacokinetics)|Wikipedia article]] | |||
*[[Pharmacokinetics]] | |||
*[[Bioavailability]] | |||
*[[Bioequivalence]] | |||
[[Category:Pharmacokinetics]] | |||