A daily injection called tesamorelin helps HIV patients on medication lose belly fat inside their abdomen, while a fake shot doesn’t.

Scientific Claim

Tesamorelin (2 mg subcutaneous daily for 6 months) reduces visceral adipose tissue by 10.9% (21 cm²) in HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy with abdominal fat accumulation, compared to placebo, demonstrating a direct causal effect on visceral fat reduction.

Original Statement

“VAT decreased by -10.9% (-21 cm²) in the tesamorelin group vs. -0.6% (-1 cm²) in the placebo group in the 6-month efficacy phase, P < 0.0001.”

From study:Unknown Title

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

definitive

Can make definitive causal claims

Assessment Explanation

The study is a high-quality RCT with randomization, blinding, and a control group, which supports definitive causal language for the primary outcome.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Unknown Title

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

In a well-run study, people with HIV and belly fat who took this drug lost nearly 11% of their dangerous belly fat, while those who took a sugar pill barely lost any — proving the drug actually causes the fat loss.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Unknown Title

Score: 81

DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181cbdaff

Similar Assertions

A drug called tesamorelin helps HIV patients with belly fat buildup lose about 11% of their dangerous internal belly fat in six months, while those on a dummy pill lose almost none.

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A hormone treatment called tesamorelin decreases belly fat by 42 square centimeters more than a placebo in people with HIV who have excess abdominal fat after six months of treatment.

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A drug called tesamorelin helps reduce belly fat deep inside the abdomen for people with HIV who are on medication, making their belly fat decrease by about 15% compared to those not taking the drug. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available

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If HIV patients keep taking the injection for a full year, they lose even more belly fat inside their abdomen—about 18% total.

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Continuing tesamorelin for a full year helps HIV patients with belly fat lose nearly 18% of their dangerous internal belly fat, with no loss of benefit over time.

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