The drug made two key core muscles—rectus and psoas—slightly bigger, adding about half a square inch each after six months, while the placebo group didn’t change.
Scientific Claim
In HIV-positive adults with abdominal obesity who responded to tesamorelin with ≥8% VAT reduction, 26 weeks of treatment increased total muscle area of the rectus and psoas muscles by 0.44 cm² and 0.46 cm², respectively, compared to placebo.
Original Statement
“Significant increases were also seen in total area of the rectus and psoas muscles (0.44 and 0.46 centimeters2; p<0.005), and in the lean muscle area of all four truncal muscle groups (0.64-1.08 centimeters2; p<0.005).”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
RCT design with precise imaging and statistical adjustment supports causal claims. The effect sizes are reported with p-values below the study’s significance threshold, justifying definitive language.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Analogue, Tesamorelin, Decreases Muscle Fat and Increases Muscle Area in Adults with HIV
The study found that a drug called tesamorelin helped HIV-positive people with belly fat gain a little more muscle in their abdomen and lower back after 26 weeks, exactly as the claim says.