After a year of taking tesamorelin, obese people with low growth hormone had much higher levels of IGF-I than those who took a sugar pill — proving the drug works as intended.
Scientific Claim
Tesamorelin treatment for 12 months increased IGF-I levels by an average of 102.9 ± 31.8 μg/L in obese adults with reduced GH, compared to a 22.8 ± 8.9 μg/L increase in placebo, demonstrating a significant pharmacological effect.
Original Statement
“After 12 months, tesamorelin treatment led to a significantly greater increase in IGF-I than did placebo treatment (change, 102.9±31.8 μg/L vs 22.8±8.9 μg/L, tesamorelin vs placebo; P=.02).”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
This is a direct, measured outcome from an RCT with a control group. The significant difference (P=0.02) supports definitive language about the drug’s effect on IGF-I.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The effects of tesamorelin on phosphocreatine recovery in obese subjects with reduced GH.
The study found that a drug called tesamorelin made IGF-I levels go up a lot more in obese people with low growth hormone than a placebo did, exactly as the claim says.