Lipedema and hormones: Understand the relationship

Lipedema is a disease caused by the accumulation of fat in the arms, hips and especially the legs. In addition, it causes pain, locomotion problems and a feeling of heaviness in these limbs. Today, society knows a little more about the subject, but little is said about the relationship between lipedema and hormones. So, understand better:

Follow Us To Find Out More! 1DWYCRH5DIHRM96MA5DEGS2HCSDS16GUXQ

According to data from the Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEME), about 10% of women in the world suffer from the problem, which depends on the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. "During the use of contraceptives, at the beginning of puberty, during pregnancy and menopause, that is, in very large hormonal peaks, there is a trigger for the disease", explains doctor Fábio Kamamoto, who directs the newly created Instituto Lipedema Brasil , in Sao Paulo.

“Lipedema is a disease that affects around 5 million women in Brazil, but unfortunately it is little known by patients and health professionals. Therefore, the importance of creating the Instituto Lipedema Brasil”, he adds.

Read also: Fat located on the legs? It could be a symptom of lipedema

Lipedema and hormones: Better understand the relationship

Although the causes of the condition have not yet been completely elucidated by science, several experts and studies point out that estrogen dysfunction in the body can be a decisive factor for the appearance of lipedema.

This is because the unregulated accumulation of fat (which occurs in the disease) is caused by the disordered signaling of this hormone — under normal circumstances, estrogen interacts with body fat to keep it healthy, preventing weight gain, for example. This substance imbalance results in increased body fat and inflammation.

According to studies by the Lipedema Foundation, in New York, Lipedema appears at times of great hormonal changes in a woman's life. As a result, it rarely strikes men—the few diagnosed with the condition have low testosterone levels and high estrogen levels.