For HIV patients with belly fat and high liver enzymes, taking a placebo even if they lost visceral fat didn't help lower their liver enzyme levels, unlike those taking the actual drug.

Scientific Claim

In HIV-infected patients with abdominal obesity and elevated liver enzymes, placebo treatment did not result in significant changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels despite visceral adipose tissue (VAT) reduction ≥8% (ALT: −6.5 ± 21.1 vs. −4.8 ± 21.1 U/L, P=0.75; AST: −2.1 ± 21.5 vs. −2.9 ± 15.5 U/L, P=0.33).

Original Statement

“Among placebo-treated subjects, VAT reduction ≥ 8% was not associated with a concurrent decline in ALT (VAT ≥ 8% vs. < 8%, −6.5 ± 21.1 vs. −4.8 ± 21.1 U/L, P = 0.75) or AST (VAT ≥ 8% vs. < 8%, −2.1 ± 21.5 vs. −2.9 ± 15.5 U/L, P = 0.33), which is in contrast to tesamorelin-treated patients.”

From study:Visceral fat reduction with tesamorelin is associated with improved liver enzymes in HIV

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The claim uses 'did not result in significant changes' which accurately reflects the non-significant P-values and avoids causal language.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Visceral fat reduction with tesamorelin is associated with improved liver enzymes in HIV

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2017 Oct 23

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Visceral fat reduction with tesamorelin is associated with improved liver enzymes in HIV

Score: 62

DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000001614

Similar Assertions

For people with HIV and belly fat who have high liver enzyme levels, those who lose at least 8% of their visceral fat see a bigger drop in ALT levels than those who don't lose that much fat.

91%

For people with HIV and belly fat who have high liver enzyme levels, those who lost at least 8% of their visceral fat from tesamorelin treatment had much bigger drops in their liver enzyme levels compared to those who didn't lose much fat.

91%

When people with HIV and belly fat lost fat from a placebo pill, their liver enzymes didn't improve, but when they lost fat from tesamorelin, their liver enzymes did improve.

91%

In HIV patients with belly fat, higher amounts of visceral fat were linked to higher liver enzyme levels at the start of the study.

89%

For people with HIV and belly fat who have high liver enzyme levels, those who lost at least 8% of their visceral fat from the drug had much bigger drops in their liver enzyme numbers compared to those who didn't lose much fat, and this difference was statistically significant.

88%