Investigation of the effects of antivirals used in hepatitis B treatment on blood lipid profile: a retrospective real-life data analysis.

BACKGROUND

Entecavir (ETV), tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) are widely used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to investigate the blood lipid profile of CHB patients using these three drugs.

METHODS

This Türkiye-wide retrospective cohort study included individuals who were older than 18 years of age, treatment-naive and were diagnosed with CHB for at least 1 year after 2010. The study aimed to evaluate the 48-month lipid profile changes of patients taking antivirals.

RESULTS

In total, 1912 cases (ETV 756 [39.3%], TDF 1082 [56.3%] and TAF 74 [3.8%]) diagnosed with CHB and receiving antiviral treatment were included. There was no difference between the three drug groups in terms of age and comorbidities (P>0.05). While there was no difference in the initial total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides (TG) values between the three groups, all values were significantly lower in the TDF group in the first year (P<0.05). While TG, LDL and TC values were significantly lower in the TDF group in the second year (P<0.05), there was no difference in HDL and HDL/CHOL (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

TDF causes a decrease in LDL levels, TC and total cholesterol/HDL ratio. However, use of ETV and TAF did not significantly affect the lipid profile. It should not be forgotten that lipid profile changes may cause metabolic health problems in individuals receiving hepatitis B treatment and appropriate treatment should be planned by regular monitoring according to treatment groups.