Lipedema: looks like cellulite, but it’s not and affects 5 million women –

Lipedema is a chronic and genetic vascular disease, whose main visible characteristic is the excessive accumulation of fat in regions of the body, such as legs, thighs, knees and arms. “Unlike cellulite, localized fat and obesity, lipedema does not affect the entire body, but specific regions. Even when losing weight, the patient does not lose fat in the affected region”, explains nutritionist and specialist in Sports Medicine, Andrea Ferri Catib.

According to the director of the Institute Lipedema Brazil and one of the pioneers in the treatment of Lipedema in Brazil, Dr. Fabio Kamamoto, the main characteristics of Lipedema, which has four stages, are: frequent pain in the regions of the legs, hips, arms and forearms, which become thicker and disproportionate compared to the rest of the body, in the ankle it seems that there is a “garrote” and the knees lose their contour. “The woman can present bruises (turn purple) by any more sudden movement. This happens because the disease provokes an inflammatory reaction in fat cells in these regions”, she comments.

Data from the Sociedad Española de Medicina Estética (SEME), estimate that this disease affects 10% of women in the world, with about 5 million in Brazil alone. The nutrologist explains that the diagnosis is clinical and made through the patient’s clinical history, with a physical examination and other tests requested to rule out other possible diseases.

What causes lipedema?

The disease can be caused by hormonal imbalance, such as puberty, pregnancy, contraceptive use and menopause. “This imbalance causes the disease to reach adipose tissue (responsible for storing fat) and causes adipose cells to grow in excess. “With the growth of cells, painful nodules are formed and this generates such an accumulation of fat and swelling”, comments Catib.

In addition to the physical discomfort, which mainly affects the lower limbs, lipedema can affect the emotional, since in many cases the disease is confused with other conditions and the search for the diagnosis takes time to be made. “To confirm the diagnosis of the disease, it is essential to seek specialized help. So, at the sign of the first symptoms, look for a specialist to perform some of the procedures that identify lipedema, such as tomography, fat measurement or scintigraphy”, he points out.

Symptoms

Physical discomfort, swelling and painful lumps are just some of the symptoms caused by lipedema. Hematomas, burning sensation and discomfort when touching the region with fat accumulation, are other of them. In more severe stages and when untreated, the disease causes fluid retention, foot deformity and even hinders the patient’s mobility.

There is no specific specialist to identify the disease, so it is necessary to go through different doctors, such as endocrinologists, surgeons, nutritionists and even gynecologists. “For multidisciplinary lipedema therapy actions, include consultations with physiotherapists and physical educators as well. In some cases, vascular doctors and psychologists are recommended”, adds the nutrologist.

Treatments

There are two types of treatment for Lipedema, clinical and surgical.

O clinical it’s composed by:

anti-inflammatory diet (vegetables, meat, sodium and gluten-free or alcoholic beverages); use of a vibrating platform, which reduces swelling in the regions; lymphatic drainage to remove excess fluid and, finally; the technique of taping, applied by a physiotherapist to improve discomfort.

These actions alleviate the symptoms, but do not solve the problem of fat in the arms, legs and hips, as it does not extract the diseased cells. The surgical procedure is done with liposuction and is definitive.

“Once removed, this fat does not come back, as these cells do not multiply. It is possible to remove up to 7% of body weight through liposuction. That is, a patient weighing 100 kilos could remove up to 7 liters of fat”, points out Dr. Kamamoto.