For people with HIV taking tesamorelin, changes in their growth hormone levels didn't match changes in their trunk muscle thickness or size.

Changes in a growth hormone-related factor didn't match changes in muscle density or size in people with HIV and belly fat taking tesamorelin.

In people with HIV and belly fat who responded to tesamorelin, muscle density changes were linked to belly fat loss but not to changes in a growth-related hormone.

Tesamorelin boosts a key growth hormone-related protein in HIV patients without affecting their blood sugar levels.

Rising IGF-1 levels helped explain some of the muscle growth from the drug, but not all of it—so other factors are also at work.

People with HIV who have belly fat and are on medication to control the virus who took tesamorelin had higher levels of a growth-related hormone called IGF-1. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available