This drug didn’t just make muscles less fatty—it also made them bigger in size, adding about half a square inch of lean muscle in the core area after six months.
Scientific Claim
Among HIV-positive adults with abdominal obesity who responded to tesamorelin with ≥8% VAT reduction, 26 weeks of treatment increased lean muscle area by 0.64–1.08 cm² in all four trunk muscle groups compared to placebo, indicating increased muscle quantity independent of fat loss.
Original Statement
“Significant increases were also seen 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 objective imaging and statistical adjustment supports causal claims. The effect sizes are consistent and significant across all muscle groups, 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 more muscle in their trunk after 26 weeks, even though they weren’t just losing fat — the muscle actually got bigger.