It has been known for a while that obesity can cause lymphedema, but is the inverse also true? Does lymphedema cause weight gain by encouraging the body to store fat? And what would that mean for prevention and management? The gradual accumulation of excess fluid in a lymphedematous limb will,…
There are many reasons to maintain a healthy body weight, but preventing the chronic swelling condition known as lymphedema is probably one that you’ve never heard of. In fact, there’s a good chance that your family doctor hasn’t heard of the connection between obesity and lymphedema either. This is not…
In January we discussed one patient’s experience with lymphedema secondary to obesity (see: “A case of Lower Extremity Lymphedema Secondary to Morbid Obesity”). Here we provide an update on her progress one year after her initial assessment at our clinic. The patient was first seen at our clinic on May…
Obesity is a known risk factor for lymphedema, a chronic swelling condition caused by insufficient lymphatic fluid clearance from tissues (see post: Lymphedema is a Common but Little-Known Health Hazard of Obesity). In our experience it can be particularly difficult for obese patients to be correctly diagnosed with lymphedema. This…
Unbeknownst to many in the medical community and public alike, obesity can increase the risk of developing a chronic swelling condition known as lymphedema. The minority of patients suffering from lymphedema have what’s called “Primary Lymphedema”. Classically caused by an inherited or congenital malformation of lymphatic channels and/or nodes, Primary…
