Sunday, July 11, 2021 - Episode 365
By: Leslyn Keith, OTD, CLT-LANA
Is Fluid Retention in Lipedema?
- Today I’d like to tell you about a paper by Marisol Allen, Michael Schwartz, and Karen L. Herbst.
- The paper is called: Interstitial Fluid in Lipedema and Control Skin. It was published in the peer-reviewed journal Women’s Health Reports in September 2020.
- The aim of this study was to determine if abnormal blood vessels, similar to those found in lymphedema, are present more often in the thighs compared with the abdomen in women with lipedema.
- The researchers hypothesized that these impaired blood vessels could increase the fluid load in the lower body and overwhelm the lymphatics.
- These researchers also surmised that the later stages of lipedema and those also affected by obesity would have a greater fluid load.
- This study is important for women with lipedema because there continues to be a great deal of discussion of whether there is edema, or swelling, in lipedema.
- This study seems to support the idea that there is, although I disagree with their suggestion on how to best support the clearance of that extra fluid.