For HIV patients with excess belly fat who responded to the drug tesamorelin, taking the drug for 26 weeks made the fat around their organs denser by 2.3 points on a CT scan scale, even after accounting for changes in fat amount, which suggests the fat became healthier.

Scientific Claim

In people living with HIV (PLWH) with central adiposity who responded to tesamorelin treatment (visceral adipose tissue decrease ≥8%), 26 weeks of tesamorelin therapy increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT) density by 2.3 Hounsfield Units (95% confidence interval 0.9-3.7) compared to placebo after adjusting for baseline VAT density, baseline VAT area, and changes in VAT area (p=0.001).

Original Statement

“The effect of tesamorelin vs placebo on VAT density persisted (+2.3 HU, 95% CI [0.9, 3.7], p=0.001, Supplemental Figure 1) (Table 2).”

From study:Tesamorelin improves fat quality independent of changes in fat quantity

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 RCT design with randomization and control group allows causal inference. The verb 'increased' appropriately reflects the causal effect observed.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Tesamorelin improves fat quality independent of changes in fat quantity

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2021 Jul 15

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Tesamorelin improves fat quality independent of changes in fat quantity

Score: 70

DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000002897

Similar Assertions

For HIV patients with belly fat who respond to this drug, the fat becomes denser and healthier-looking on scans after 6 months of treatment, even if the amount of fat doesn’t change much.

95%

In HIV patients with belly fat who responded to the drug tesamorelin, the treatment made the visceral fat denser by 2.3 points on a CT scan scale compared to placebo, even after accounting for changes in fat amount.

94%

The same HIV patients with belly fat who responded to tesamorelin also saw their under-the-skin fat become denser by 3.5 points on CT scans after 26 weeks, regardless of fat amount changes, indicating healthier fat tissue.

94%

The drug makes the fat around the organs healthier-looking on scans more than the fat under the skin — it works better on belly fat than on thigh or arm fat.

92%

The same drug that reduces belly fat in HIV patients also makes the fat under the skin denser and healthier-looking on scans, even when the amount of fat doesn’t change much.

92%