The injection makes the body produce more of a natural growth-related hormone called IGF-1, which helps explain how it reduces belly fat.

Scientific Claim

Tesamorelin (2 mg subcutaneous daily for 6 months) increases insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) levels in HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy with abdominal fat accumulation, consistent with its mechanism as a growth hormone-releasing factor.

Original Statement

“Insulin-like growth factor-1 increased (P < 0.001), but no change in glucose parameters was observed.”

From study:Unknown Title

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 RCT design and strong statistical significance (P < 0.001) support definitive language for this mechanistic biomarker change.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Unknown Title

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

The study found that taking tesamorelin daily for 6 months made a key growth-related hormone (IGF-I) go up in HIV patients with belly fat, just like scientists expected it to.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Unknown Title

Score: 81

DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181cbdaff

Similar Assertions

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

86%

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

84%

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.

83%

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 404 HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation, tesamorelin reduced visceral adipose tissue by 10.9% (21 cm²) after 6 months compared to less than 1% in the placebo group, with concurrent reductions in waist circumference and trunk fat and increases in IGF-I levels.

83%

A hormone treatment called tesamorelin raises IGF-1 hormone levels more than a placebo in people with HIV at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of treatment.

83%