Does lipoedema mimic pregnancy?

Samantha Connolly
24 May 2022

In recent years, more attention is being paid to the hormonal aspect of lipoedema. There are suggestions that lipoedema patients may have particular imbalances or sensitivities with regard to oestrogens and/ or progesterone. This article examines the specifics of gluteofemoral fat storage during pregnancy: increased gluteofemoral storage with strong resistance to lipolysis. It then asks if hormonal dysregulation in lipoedema patients could result in a hormonal profile that mimics pregnancy. Such a profile may include high levels of oestrogens, progesterone, prolactin and relaxin, or any combination of the above. This pseudopregnancy hormonal profile would instruct the body to store gluteofemoral fat and strongly resist all attempts to mobilise it.

Free for all healthcare professionals

Sign up to the Wounds Group journals





By clicking ‘Subscribe’, you are agreeing that the Wounds Group are able to email you periodic newsletters. You may unsubscribe from these at any time. Your info is safe with us and we will never sell or trade your details. For information please review our privacy policy.

Are you a healthcare professional? This website is for healthcare professionals only. To continue, please confirm that you are a healthcare professional below.

We use cookies responsibly to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your browser settings, we’ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on this website. Read about how we use cookies.

I am not a healthcare professional.