What it is
Tesamorelin is a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue. The clinical study summarized here investigated excess visceral fat in people with HIV, a specific population rather than a general fitness or healthy-ageing cohort. Visceral adipose tissue is the internal abdominal fat measured in that study; it should not be treated as interchangeable with all body fat or total body weight.[6]
Research areas and evidence
The 2007 randomized trial enrolled 412 participants with HIV and abdominal fat accumulation and compared tesamorelin with placebo over 26 weeks. Its primary endpoint was change in visceral adipose tissue measured by computed tomography. Visceral fat decreased in the tesamorelin group and increased in the placebo group, with accompanying changes in lipid measurements. This is direct human evidence in the studied population. It does not show that similar effects occur in otherwise healthy adults, nor that a change in a scan measurement necessarily prevents cardiovascular events.[6]
Safety and unknowns
The investigators measured IGF-I and glycaemic outcomes as well as adverse events. IGF-I increased in the tesamorelin group; although overall adverse-event rates did not differ significantly, more participants receiving tesamorelin withdrew because of an adverse event. The absence of a significant group difference in glucose measurements in this trial is not proof that glucose-related risks can be ignored in all settings. A limited-duration trial cannot answer every long-term safety question, and this entry is not a complete prescribing guide or general fat-loss recommendation.[6]
Sources
Read the original studies and reviews. These selected sources may not include newer research.
- Randomized human trial in a specific HIV population[6] Falutz et al. Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV. NEJM (2007).