Lipedema is a condition that affects almost exclusively women, and its impact can be particularly severe, both physically and mentally.
It is therefore perfectly natural that her diagnosis raises significant concerns for the patient concerned, particularly regarding its hereditary nature.
Lipedema is a degenerative and chronic condition. Although there is no established scientific consensus on the percentage of the population affected, it is generally accepted that it affects 10% of the population. It is also underdiagnosed and often confused with obesity.
The question is more complicated than it seems at first glance. To answer it, we must first look at the causes of the disease, which are also still the subject of heated debate within the scientific community. It is generally accepted that the origin is multifactorial, and is the result of a combination of phenomena rather than a single cause. Hormonal factors seem to play an important role, since lipedema most often develops during puberty, but also sometimes during pregnancy or menopause.
Furthermore, as we have seen, it only affects women, which tends to reinforce the importance of the hormonal factor. Lymphatic or venous disorders may also contribute to the development of the disease. In addition to these factors, scientists also agree on the hypothesis of "polygenic susceptibility": in other words, several genes combine to form a genetic predisposition to the development of lipedema.
If genes are involved, there is a possibility that if you have lipedema, you will pass it on to your daughters and granddaughters. However, studies on this hereditary trait vary greatly, with family predisposition ranging from 16 to 64%. So don't panic: transmission is not systematic, and it is entirely possible that your children will never develop the condition.
Studies are still being developed on this subject, which should enable us to learn more, particularly about the hereditary factor, in the coming years.
In any case, don't forget that lipedema is increasingly being diagnosed, and that there are many effective treatments available. As a reminder, in addition to compression bandages and pressotherapy, surgery is recommended in the vast majority of cases.
As we saw in another article, there is no age limit for surgery: if your daughters develop lipedema, they can be treated effectively.
