Lipoedema & Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Introduction Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system affecting regulation of circulation during postural change, particularly on transition from lying or sitting to standing. The nervous system comprises the somatic system, responsible for conscious movement, and the autonomic nervous system, which regulates internal physiological function without conscious input. The […]
Lipoedema & Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
Introduction Mast cells are part of normal human physiology and are best known for their role in allergic reactions. They sit within connective and adipose tissues, particularly around blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and peripheral nerves, as well as in areas such as the skin, respiratory mucosa and gastrointestinal lining where potential toxins, irritants or antigens […]
Lipoedema, Endometriosis & Gynaecological Disease
Introduction Understanding how lipoedema relates to wider aspects of women’s health remains an important but developing area of clinical research. Lipedema in Women and Its Interrelationship with Endometriosis and Other Gynecologic Diseases is a 2026 scoping review by Diogo Pinto da Costa Viana, Adriana Luckow Invitti and Eduardo Schor, based at Brazilian academic institutions including […]
Lipoedema, Hypermobility & EDS
Introduction Lipoedema is progressively being understood not simply as a disease of fat distribution, but in many women, as a condition involving loose connective tissue, fascia, microvasculature, extracellular matrix remodelling and hypermobility. This matters because many women with lipoedema describe symptoms that do not fit neatly into a “fat disorder” model alone: easy bruising, pain, […]
Lipoedema Assessment: a Downloadable Tool & Review of the Literature
Introduction Despite increasing clinical recognition, lipoedema remains unusual among chronic diseases because no validated diagnostic biomarker or definitive imaging test exists. Lipoedema assessment continues to rely on pattern recognition and exclusion of differential diagnoses, which contributes to variation in reported prevalence and differences in clinical interpretation (1–3). Attempts to establish objective diagnostic markers for lipoedema, […]
Lipoedema Diagnosis
Introduction Diagnosing lipoedema remains one of the most challenging areas in adipose and lymphatic medicine. Lipoedema affects almost exclusively women. Occurrence in men is rare and is usually associated with hormonal abnormalities such as hypogonadism or other endocrine disturbance. Women typically present with disproportionate lower body adipose distribution, chronic limb tenderness and discomfort, progressive weight gain and […]
Borderline Lipoedema: Where Does Normal End & Pathology Begin?
Introduction One of the most difficult ethical questions in borderline lipoedema care is not how to diagnose lipoedema, but, in some cases, whether diagnosis is appropriate at all. Increasingly, clinicians are seeing people who are already concerned that their body shape represents a disease, after comparing themselves with images on Instagram or discussions on other […]
World Obesity Day 2026: APPG Obesity Meeting at Portcullis House
Introduction On 1st March, at the invitation of Kate Forster, I attended the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Obesity meeting at Portcullis House in Westminster, to represent Lipoedema UK. The meeting was chaired by Mary Glindon MP and brought together clinicians, policymakers, patient advocates and representatives from digital weight-management services to discuss the current landscape […]
Lipoedema Comorbidities at Diagnosis: Findings from a Large Spanish Cohort
Introduction In December 2025, Dr Samaro Blasco and colleagues published one of the largest cohort studies of lipoedema to date. Drawing on data from approximately 1,800 women in a Spanish clinical setting, the study explores lipoedema comorbidities at diagnosis, alongside the symptoms reported when the women first presented for care. The full paper is available […]
Four Lipedema Controversies: What the Research Actually Says
Introduction This article is based on work produced by the Lipedema Foundation, presented in their Four Lipedema Controversies document prepared for the Boston Lymphatic Symposium (BLS). The document synthesises current research and highlights areas of uncertainty, limitation and clinical relevance in lipoedema. What follows is a clinical interpretation of that work for Lipedema Lounge. All […]