Lymphedema and Obesity, Part I

The incidence of obesity has been on a stunning and rapid rise in the United States, as well as globally, for the last thirty to forty years. The public health impact is significant. Links between obesity and many indicators of poor health, most notably cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer, are well established. Because of the unique interrelationship between the lymphatic system and adipose tissue, the implications for individuals with, or at risk for, lymphedema are profound.

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Lymphedema and Obesity, Part II

It has been well established in the literature, as well as in clinical practice, the profound effect that obesity has on lymphedema. Obesity places significant additional challenges for self-management of lymphedema on an already labor-intensive chronic condition. Many lymphedema clinics are experiencing the regular return of patients with obesity and lymphedema for repeated courses of treatment.

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To Pump or Not to Pump…

Pneumatic Compression Devices (PCDs), a.k.a. “pumps,” have been utilized in the treatment of lymphedema since the early 1950’s. The initial devices used single-chamber pressure cuffs that applied a uniform level of compression to the entire limb. “New generation” PCDs use improved technology and are equipped with multiple chambers which provide calibrated, gradient-sequential inflation.

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