Drug Shrinks Belly Fat and Liver Fat in HIV Patients
Effect of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
A drug called tesamorelin helps reduce belly fat and fat in the liver in people with HIV who have too much belly fat. It works by making the body produce more growth hormone. The fat loss is real, but blood sugar goes up a little at first, then returns to normal.
Surprising Findings
The drug reduces liver fat — even though it was never tested for that before.
Tesamorelin was known to reduce belly fat, but no one knew if it affected liver fat. The fact that it does — and that reductions in liver fat correlate with reductions in visceral fat — is a major surprise.
Practical Takeaways
If you have HIV and excess belly fat, talk to your doctor about tesamorelin — it may help reduce dangerous visceral and liver fat.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
A drug called tesamorelin helps reduce belly fat and fat in the liver in people with HIV who have too much belly fat. It works by making the body produce more growth hormone. The fat loss is real, but blood sugar goes up a little at first, then returns to normal.
Surprising Findings
The drug reduces liver fat — even though it was never tested for that before.
Tesamorelin was known to reduce belly fat, but no one knew if it affected liver fat. The fact that it does — and that reductions in liver fat correlate with reductions in visceral fat — is a major surprise.
Practical Takeaways
If you have HIV and excess belly fat, talk to your doctor about tesamorelin — it may help reduce dangerous visceral and liver fat.
Publication
Journal
JAMA
Year
2014
Authors
T. Stanley, Meghan N. Feldpausch, Jinhee Oh, Karen L. Branch, Hang Lee, M. Torriani, S. Grinspoon
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Claims (9)
Visceral fat is metabolically active tissue that disrupts insulin sensitivity and metabolic function, and tesamorelin reduces it through mechanisms that improve fat quality, muscle composition, and mitochondrial efficiency, leading to long-term metabolic resilience.
A hormone treatment called tesamorelin lowers liver enzyme levels by 4 units more than a placebo in people with HIV after six months of treatment.
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.
A hormone treatment called tesamorelin decreases belly fat by 42 square centimeters more than a placebo in people with HIV who have excess abdominal fat after six months of treatment.
A hormone treatment called tesamorelin doesn't change the fat under the skin in people with HIV who have excess belly fat after six months of treatment.