Lipoedema as a Social Problem. A Scoping Review

Abstract

(1) Background: Lipoedema is a disease characterized by excessive bilateral and symmetrical accumulation of subcutaneous tissue in the lower extremities. It is a poorly understood condition, and low awareness of its existence often leads to incorrect diagnosis Initially, lipoedema was considered to be completely independent of lifestyle Currently, however, more and more cases of the coexistence of lipoedema and obesity are described in the literature as additionally affecting the severity of the disease The aim of the review is to present lipoedema as a social problem. (2) Methods: Materials on lipoedema in the social context were selected from 2018–2021. The PRISMA-Scr checklist was used in the review. (3) Results: Research has shown that more than 3/4 of patients with lipoedema are also overweight or obese. Patients with lipoedema have many comorbidities, and their presence negatively affects the quality of life. The quality of life in patients with lipoedema is lower than in healthy patients. (4) Conclusions: The number of studies available on lipoedema is low. Obesity is common in patients with lipoedema. Mental disorders increase the level of experienced pain. Lipoedema significantly reduces quality of life. A healthy lifestyle in patients with lipoedema could be helpful for prevention of complications and disability.

A Scoping Review of Available Tools in Measurement of the Effectiveness of Conservative Treatment in Lipoedema

“…Furthermore, a large proportion of lipoedema patients is thought to also to be obese [ 35 ]. Dudek et al in their study of 329 lipoedema patients, only 4.3% of subjects had normal body weight while obesity was present in 81.3% of patients [ 36 ].…”

“…Various types of scales and questionnaires are beneficial in indicating the improvement of patients’ health status [ 40 ]. Decreasing the level of pain and severity of symptoms, increasing the quality of life and increasing functionality are very important therapeutic goals, and the evaluation of therapy methods by means of these tools could indicate the most successful treatment for patients [ 31 , 35 , 38 ]. Five outcome instruments: the Short Form 36 (SF-36), the lymphedema-specific Freiburg Quality of Life Assessment for Lymphatic Disorders (FLQA-lk), the Knee Outcome Survey Activities of Daily Living Scale (KOS-ADL), the Symptom Checklist-90-revised (SCL-90R) and the Six-Minute Walk Test were evaluated in 96 lipoedema and 107 lymphoedema patients in a study by Angst et al The results showed that all the tools used have favourable features in the specific assessment of lipoedema and lymphoedema, and can be successfully used in the assessment of therapeutic outcomes [ 40 ].…”

Lipedema: Insights into Morphology, Pathophysiology, and Challenges

“…Further, some women with lipedema may also have additional areas of localized adiposity [ 94 ], making the diagnosis even more challenging. As there have not been many randomized controlled trials addressing lipedema as a social issue, research has tended to rely on patient-completed surveys, which are not objective [ 185 ]. Therefore, additional research should be conducted to advance our understanding of lipedema; create specific diagnostic criteria; and explore the relationships between lipedema, lifestyle, comorbidities, and quality—all of which shorten the time to receive a diagnosis.…”

The Usefulness of the Application of Compression Therapy among Lipedema Patients-Pilot Study

“…Although easy bruising is widely reported in lipedema, the exact reason for its existence among lipedema patients has not yet been established [17]. Moreover, lipedema patients also struggle with a lack of understanding, low self-esteem, feeling of hopelessness, and a decreased level of quality of life [18][19][20][21].…”