Research
Hormonal
Switching from Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF) to Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (TDF) in women with HIV results in significant weight loss, indicating TDF has weight-suppressive effects.
If you are a woman with HIV and are gaining weight on a TAF-based regimen, ask your doctor about switching to TDF. Studies show this switch can lead to significant weight loss (approx. 1.6 kg) in women, likely because TDF suppresses weight gain compared to TAF.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
women who switched from DTG + TAF/FTC to DTG/TDF/3TC had a median 1.6 kg decrease in weight after week 192 (p=0.0125)... This study was among the first indicating that transitioning from TAF to TDF was associated with weight loss among women, reaffirming the weight-suppressive impact of TDF.
Why this rating
Based on randomized controlled trials (ADVANCE/CHARACTERISE) showing statistically significant weight loss in a specific subgroup.
Source
Beyond the Numbers: Weight Gain Risk Factors, Implications, and Interventions among Individuals with HIV
Yesha Patel et al. · Journal of AIDS and HIV Treatment · 2024
DOI 10.33696/aids.6.047
narrative_reviewCited 3×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors (INSTIs), specifically Dolutegravir (DTG) and Bictegravir (BIC), are associated with significant weight gain compared to older antiretrovirals like Efavirenz (EFV) or Protease Inhibitors.Good
- Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are effective for weight loss in people with HIV, with tirzepatide showing the largest mean percent change in weight.Good
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