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.

Scientific Claim

In people living with HIV (PWH) with central adiposity who respond to tesamorelin, the increase in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) density is not explained by reductions in SAT area, as the effect remains significant (3.5 HU increase) after statistical adjustment for fat quantity changes.

Original Statement

“The tesamorelin effects persisted after controlling for baseline VAT or SAT HU and area, and VAT [+2.3 HU, 95% confidence interval (4.5–7.3), P = 0.001) or SAT (+3.5 HU, 95% confidence interval (2.3–4.7), P < 0.001] area change.”

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 is grounded in the adjusted analysis and does not overreach beyond CT density measurements. RCT design supports definitive language.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Tesamorelin improves fat quality independent of changes in fat quantity

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

Even though the drug reduced belly fat, it also made the remaining fat under the skin healthier and denser — and this improvement happened on its own, not just because there was less fat.

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

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 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.

91%

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.

91%

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%

For HIV patients with belly fat who responded to tesamorelin, denser subcutaneous fat (on CT scans) was linked to less subcutaneous fat area, showing that fat quality and quantity are related.

90%