Patients who got the real injection felt better about how their belly looked, while those who got the fake shot didn’t.

Pro

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Community contributions welcome

Effects of Tesamorelin, a Growth Hormone–Releasing Factor, in HIV-Infected Patients With Abdominal Fat Accumulation: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial With a Safety Extension

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2010 Mar

The study found that people with HIV who took this drug daily for 6 months felt less upset about their belly appearance compared to those who took a fake pill, and the difference was real and not due to chance.

Contradicting (0)

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Effects of Tesamorelin, a Growth Hormone–Releasing Factor, in HIV-Infected Patients With Abdominal Fat Accumulation: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial With a Safety Extension

Score: 81

DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181cbdaff

Similar Assertions

Doctors who didn’t know who got the real drug thought patients’ bellies looked better after treatment.

97%

People who took tesamorelin felt better about how their belly looked, and doctors also thought their belly looked better — even though their outer fat didn’t change, just the inside fat.

94%

HIV patients with belly fat buildup feel better about their appearance after taking tesamorelin, while those on a dummy pill don't notice a difference.

91%

People with HIV on medication who take tesamorelin feel better about their belly appearance, as both they and their doctors report improvements. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available

91%

The drug didn’t cause serious side effects in these patients, even after a year of daily injections.

89%