Building Lipedema Research Resources

Inclusion criteria

• Participants with or without lipedema
• Age range = 18-80 years
• Participants with lipedema have a formal diagnosis by a physician using criteria in Appendix A of protocol
• Female

Exclusion criteria

Volunteers in the lipedema or control group will be excluded with the following:

• Pregnant or breast-feeding
• Taking any anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy other than aspirin (up to 100 mg daily)
• Active infection anywhere in the body, or open wound on the lower-extremities or at locations for ultrasound, bioimpedance, and tissue dielectric measurements
• Battery-operated device implanted that cannot be removed for ultrasound, DXA scan, bioimpedance, and tissue dielectric measurements
• Primary lymphedema
• Uncontrolled diabetes, renal disease, thyroid disease, or hypertension
• Hormone dysregulation or another significant clinical condition affecting hormone status as confirmed by clinical co-investigators
• Bone metastases
• Contrast imaging scan in the previous 7 days
• Nuclear medicine scan in previous 3 days
• Lumbar spine fusion
• Weigh more than 500 lb (226.8 kg)

Also excluded are subjects incapable of giving informed written consent:

• Subjects who have an inability to communicate with the researcher for any reason
• Subjects who are non-English speaking who cannot communicate through a translator, or if a translator is not available
• Subjects who cannot adhere to the experimental protocols for any reason
• Subjects who have limited mental ability to give informed consent due to mental disability, confusion, or psychiatric disorders
• Prisoners