Lipedema: when leg swelling isn’t obesity—and the fight for a diagnosis
Lipedema is a chronic, female-predominant condition in which abnormal fat accumulates in the legs (and sometimes arms), causing pain, heaviness, bruising and a distinct ankle-to-calf cuff, and it’s often mistaken for obesity or lymphedema. Its exact causes are unclear but genetic and hormonal factors are implicated; there is no cure, but management includes compression, lymphatic therapy, and specialized liposuction, with growing advocacy to improve diagnosis and access to care.
