Lipedema is a women's disease characterized by a disproportional distribution of fatty tissue, with pain and a feeling of heaviness in the lower extremities. In approximately 30% of patients, the upper extremities are also affected. The cause of lipedema is unknown, but familial clustering of the condition indicates genetic causal factors. Estrogen and hormonal changes appear to be involved, as the condition primarily affects women and is influenced by hormonal changes. In Norway, women with lipedema have largely not had access to treatment within the public healthcare system, and the condition is relatively unknown among Norwegian healthcare personnel.

 

Read the full article: Ina Walde Ekerhovd*, Hanne Schult Frølich*, Aslaug Drotningsvik, Kjersti Ausen, Louis De Weerd, Wenche Hegard, Hildur Skuladottir. Lipødem. Tidsskriftet 2025, Vol. 145, nr. 8 (external link) (The Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association)