Lipödem – eine verborgene Erkrankung mit einer Prävalenz von 0,95% – basierend auf 8,7 Millionen Versicherten.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Despite ongoing research, the prevalence of lipoedema still relies on estimates, with figures in the recent literature ranging from 1% to 10%. Large-scale epidemiological studies on lipoedema are lacking.

Patients and methods: This retrospective observational study analysed health insurance claims data from the second-largest health insurance fund in Germany (8.7 million insured individuals), focusing on women with lipoedema stages I-III. Propensity score matching was performed to compare co-morbidities in lipoedema patients with those in the general patient population and in patients with grade III obesity.

Results: Between 2017 and 2021, the documented prevalence of lipoedema increased by 123.5% (from 3.89 to 8.69 cases per 1,000 insured individuals). Stage II lipoedema was the most common, with a prevalence of 0.34% in 2021. Extrapolation of the data to the total population suggests approximately 338.200 affected women in Germany in 2021, corresponding to a prevalence of 0.95%.

Conclusions: This study is the first to provide a robust nationwide extrapolation of lipoedema prevalence. The findings highlight the underutilisation of conservative treatment and the significant comorbidities present in the affected patient population.