Metabolic syndrome is characterized by central adiposity, high levels of fasting blood glucose, high blood levels of triglycerides, low blood levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hypertension. The syndrome is also associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

EVAF, an important component of central adiposity, contributes to obesity-related disorders and is associated with ectopic (abnormal) fat accumulation in the liver, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Some individuals with liver fat can develop nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an aggressive form of fatty liver disease, which is marked by liver inflammation and may progress to advanced scarring (cirrhosis) and liver failure.

In a presentation last month at the 30^th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle, Theratechnologies researchers reported an association between EVAF reduction and positive change in metabolic syndrome classification in people with HIV treated with tesamorelin.

"Our findings of EVAF reduction and reversal of metabolic syndrome classification following treatment with tesamorelin are consistent with previous data indicating an association between visceral fat reduction and improved metabolic profiles in [people with HIV]," lead investigator Dr. Roger Bedimo, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said in a statement.