Effect of tesamorelin in people with HIV with and without dorsocervical fat: Post hoc analysis of phase III double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
Rahman. Farah F; McLaughlin. Taryn T; Mesquita. Pedro P; Morin. Josee J; Potvin. Diane D; De Chantal. Marilyn M; Aberg. Judith A JA
Key Findings
- Tesamorelin reduced visceral adipose tissue (VAT) after 26 weeks of treatment.
- Waist circumference also decreased in responders.
- The presence of dorsocervical (neck) fat did not change how well tesamorelin worked.
Practical Outcomes
- For those looking to lower deep belly fat, tesamorelin appears effective regardless of neck fat status. However, the data come from HIV patients, so results may differ in healthy individuals. If you consider using tesamorelin, monitor VAT and waist changes and be aware it’s a prescription drug with specific indications.
Summary
Tesamorelin, a lab-made hormone that tells your body to release growth hormone, was shown to shrink belly fat (visceral fat) and waist size in people with HIV, whether or not they had a fatty hump on the back of their neck. The effect was the same in both groups.
Abstract
Tesamorelin, a synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone, is indicated for the reduction of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in people with HIV. Here, we performed a post hoc analysis of participants receiving tesamorelin for 26 weeks in a phase III clinical trial. Efficacy data were compared between individuals with and without dorsocervical fat, stratified by tesamorelin response. Among tesamorelin responders, VAT and waist circumference (WC) decreased in both dorsocervical fat groups and did not statistically differ (VAT <i>P</i> = 0.657, WC <i>P</i> = 0.093). These data demonstrate that tesamorelin is equally effective and should be considered in the treatment of excess VAT regardless of the presence of dorsocervical fat.
Study Information
pubmed
2022
2022-12-07T00:00:00.000Z
10.1017/cts.2022.515
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