Lipedema articles

Lipedema is often mistaken for excess weight for years. Here you will find answers to the key questions: how to recognise it, which treatments have evidence behind them and what to expect from surgery. Every figure links to the research.

Lipedema in numbers: key data and studies

research · epidemiology

How common is lipedema? What the studies say and where the “one in three women” myth comes from

How many women have lipedema: studies estimate about 10%, or roughly one in ten. Where the 39% figure comes from, why diagnosis takes 18 years, and what is known about Ukraine.

7 min read
research · causes

Causes of lipedema: hormones, genetics and inflammation — what science knows

Why lipedema develops: the role of hormones, heredity (a family history in 60–80% of women), genes, inflammation and weight. A review of 2023–2026 research and the international consensus.

7 min read
diagnosis · research

Diagnosing lipedema: criteria, ultrasound and why BMI is misleading

How lipedema is diagnosed in 2026: clinical signs from the international consensus, the role of ultrasound, waist-to-height ratio instead of BMI, differences from lymphedema and obesity, and the ICD-11 code.

7 min read
treatment · conservative therapy · research

Treating lipedema without surgery: compression, lymphatic drainage and exercise — what the evidence shows

What helps lipedema without surgery: compression therapy, manual lymphatic drainage, exercise, weight management and psychological support. Research data and the 2026 international consensus.

6 min read
nutrition · treatment · research

Diet and lipedema: what clinical trials show

Does diet help lipedema? Results of a randomised trial of a low-carbohydrate diet, a 7-month LCHF study, and ketogenic and Mediterranean approaches. What changes — pain, weight and leg volume.

6 min read
treatment · liposuction · research

Liposuction for lipedema: what the research shows — from 12-year follow-up to LIPLEG in The Lancet

Research on liposuction for lipedema: the first large randomised trial, LIPLEG (410 patients, The Lancet, 2026), follow-up of up to 12 years, meta-analyses, risks and who the operation is for.

7 min read
diagnosis

Lipedema or obesity: 6 differences worth knowing

How lipedema differs from obesity: fat distribution, pain, bruising, response to dieting, feet and hands. When to see a doctor.

2 min read
treatment

Recovery after liposuction for lipedema: what to expect week by week

How recovery after lymph-sparing liposuction works: the first days, compression, lymphatic drainage, returning to work and sport, and when to assess the result.

2 min read

lipedema.ua · Kyiv, Podil

Lipedema treatment in Kyiv: what our clinic offers

Consultation with ultrasound: 40–60 EUR · Before & after photos

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