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.

Scientific Claim

In people living with HIV (PWH) with central adiposity who respond to tesamorelin, the improvement in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) density is greater than the improvement in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) density (+6.2 HU vs. +4.0 HU), suggesting a depot-specific effect.

Original Statement

“Over 26 weeks, mean (SD) VAT and SAT density increased in tesamorelin-treated participants only [VAT: +6.2 (8.7) HU tesamorelin, +0.3 (4.2) HU placebo, P < 0.0001; SAT: +4.0 (8.7) HU tesamorelin, +0.3 (4.8) HU placebo, P < 0.0001].”

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 claim reports observed differences in effect size without claiming statistical superiority between depots. It is descriptive and grounded in reported data.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Tesamorelin improves fat quality independent of changes in fat quantity

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

The medicine made the dangerous belly fat better than the under-skin fat, and the numbers show it worked more on the belly fat than the other kind.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Tesamorelin improves fat quality independent of changes in fat quantity

Score: 66

DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000002897

Similar Assertions

Even when scientists account for how much belly fat was lost, the fat that’s left still gets denser and healthier-looking on scans — meaning the drug is doing something beyond just shrinking fat.

95%

Before starting the drug, the fat quality in the group that got the drug was just like the group that got the placebo — so any differences later were due to the treatment.

92%

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.

92%

The fat under the skin gets denser and healthier-looking on scans even when the amount of that fat doesn’t change much — the drug is improving its quality directly.

92%

Before treatment, the fat under the skin looked just as healthy on scans in both the drug and placebo groups — so any changes later were caused by the drug.

91%