[Health-related quality of life and psychological abnormalities in patients with lipedema compared to healthy and chronically ill populations].

Abstract

Lipedema is a chronical progressive disease mostly found in women, characterized by an unproportional increase of fat in the limbs and pain. So far mental perspectives are not acceptably resolved. This study examines patients' aspects in health-related quality of life.733 women with lipedema were asked to answer the questionnaires SF-36, Mini-SCL, EFK, DKB-35 and RSES which were compared with normative data. Additional questions for continuative analysis were appended.Depending on the comparison sample, statistical calculation showed significant differences of means in all collected aspects of health-related quality of life. Affected people reported consistently more impairment. Investigations in coping showed that 'depressive processing' is used most frequently. Furthermore, there were significant saliences in SF-36 scales regarding to the stadium and the use of conservative therapies. Analyses of answers to additional questions showed that most patients feel insufficient understood by fellow men. Also, nearly the half feels inadequately informed about the disease.The outcome exposes clear restrictions in quality of life in patients with lipedema. Previous publications can be confirmed and supplemented. However, the study design of an open online survey makes distortions (e. g. selection of highly informed patients) within the sample possible.The resulting need of psychological interventions is obvious. In addition, enlightenment and sensitization in science and public are important to reduce stigmatization, to relieve patients' everyday life and increase the quality of life.