12/17/2025
Lipedema is finally getting the scientific attention it deserves.
A new large Spanish cohort study (1,803 women, Biomedicines 2025) shows that lipedema is not a cosmetic issue, but a systemic, multisystem disease with major clinical and psychosocial impact. It was formally recognized by the WHO in 2022 (ICD 11 EF02.2), yet remains widely underdiagnosed and often confused with obesity or lymphedema, delaying care and compounding distress.
Key insights from the cohort:
• Most patients were diagnosed in their reproductive years, with a predominantly gynoid (pear-shaped) fat pattern and almost half already in advanced disease stages.
• Pain, tenderness, ligamentous hyperlaxity, and nodular, fibrotic tissue resistant to weight loss were hallmark findings.
• Comorbidities were striking: chronic low grade inflammation, connective tissue fragility, suspected intestinal hyperpermeability, thyroid and other endocrine dysfunction, alongside high rates of anxiety, low self esteem, and depression.
The big takeaway: lipedema behaves as a systemic connective tissue and inflammatory disorder involving vascular, endocrine, and possibly gastrointestinal pathways — not simply “abnormal fat.” That means diagnosis cannot rely on BMI alone; clinicians must look for characteristic pain patterns, fat distribution, and tissue changes.
For healthcare systems, this calls for:
• Earlier recognition and standardized diagnostic criteria
• Multidisciplinary care (endocrinology, nutrition, psychology, rheumatology, rehabilitation)
• More research into the underlying inflammatory and connective tissue mechanisms
Raising awareness among clinicians, payers, and policymakers is crucial if we want to reduce diagnostic delays, prevent progression, and support the women living with this condition every day.
“Clinical Signs at Diagnosis and Comorbidities in a Large Cohort of Patients with Lipedema in Spain” by Simarro Blasco et al., 2025 (Biomedicines, 13, 3049).
Simarro Blasco, J. L., Michelini, S., Andrés-Gasco, M., Lebrero García, A., Ortega Abad, D., Margalejo Lombardo, J., Buj Vargas, J., Sanchéz-Costa, J. T., & Martín Martínez, M. A. (2025). Clinical Signs at Diagnosis and Comorbidities in a Large Cohort of Patients with Lipedema in Spain. Biomedicines, 13(12), 3049. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13123049
Background/Objectives: Lipedema is a chronic disorder that affects almost exclusively women and is characterized by bilateral, symmetrical accumulation of subcutaneous fat, typically in the buttocks, hips, and lower limbs, and in some cases the arms. The primary objective of this study was to descri...
