Evaluation of Metabolic Changes in Patients Initiated on Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate Therapy

Aim: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a common global health issue affecting millions and may lead to severe complications. The choice of antiviral drugs for effective HBV treatment plays a critical role in patient outcomes, although the side effects of these drugs must also be considered.Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 57 patients who either started antiviral treatment for HBV or switched to tenofovir alfenamid fumarate(TAF) therapy between February 1, 2020, and February 1, 2023. The patients' medical records were retrospectively reviewed.Results: Among the 57 patients included, 34 were male (59.6%) with a mean age of 60.8±11.3 years. Seven patients (12.3%) had a history of solid organ transplantation. TAF therapy was initiated following a switch from entecavir in 3 patients (5.3%) and from tenofovir disproksil fumarat in 46 patients (80.7%). Although there were numerical increases in body weight and fasting blood glucose, these changes were not statistically significant (p=0.44, p=0.28, respectively). The mean baseline triglyceride (TG) level was 128.7±18.69 mg/dL, while the mean follow-up level increased to 148.8±14.6 mg/dL, a statistically significant change (p=0.043).Conclusion: TAF therapy was associated with increased serum TG levels. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution due to the relatively small sample size (n=57), which limits the generalizability of the results. However, further long-term prospective studies with larger cohorts are needed to assess the metabolic effects of TAF, both in treatment-naïve and previously treated patients.