Key result
Lipedema is linked to subclinical left heart remodeling, mitral annular dilation, and increased aortic stiffness.
Why the study?
Lipedema is a chronic, progressive, and often underdiagnosed disease with limited data on associated myocardial, valvular, and vascular abnormalities.
Advanced cardiac imaging reveals latent subclinical structural and functional abnormalities in the left heart and aorta of patients with lipedema, contrasting with their generally favorable cardiometabolic risk profile.
May prompt cardiac imaging evaluation in lipedema; leaves open prognostic impact and need for intervention.
Lipedema is a chronic, progressive, and often underdiagnosed disease characterized by the pathological, bilateral, and symmetrical accumulation of adipose tissue. This distribution results in disproportionate and painful swelling of the limbs. Typically extending distally from the hips, this predominantly female condition is frequently misidentified as lifestyle-induced obesity or bilateral lymphedema. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of structural and functional abnormalities in myocardial dimensions, mechanics, valves, and major arteries in patients with lipedema. According to the existing literature, left atrial enlargement, left ventricular rotational abnormalities, mitral annular dilation, and increased aortic stiffness have been identified in patients with lipedema. These findings suggest latent but significant alterations in left heart physiology. Although current data remain limited and are primarily focused on the left heart and the aorta, the rapid evolution of cardiac imaging technologies suggests that both clinical knowledge and the body of research in this field are poised for significant expansion.
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Attila Nemes (2026) conducted a review in Lipedema. Lipedema vs. Healthy controls was evaluated. Lipedema is associated with latent but significant left heart and aortic alterations, including left atrial enlargement, left ventricular rotational abnormalities, mitral annular dilation, and increased aortic stiffness.
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