In this insightful interview, pelvic health experts Tiffany Baker, PhD(eligible), PT, DPT, CFMT, C.Ac., CPT (NASM-PES), and Kelly Schroeder, PT, DPT, CLT, MBA, discuss the intricacies of the pelvic floor, the importance of pelvic health for women, particularly those with Lipedema, and what to expect from pelvic floor therapy. Their combined expertise offers valuable information for anyone seeking to understand and improve their pelvic health. 

We are excited to share that the Fat Disorders Resource Society (FDRS), a volunteer patient-led organization, is hosting its annual conference (FDRS 2024 Annual Conference) in St. Louis on April 19-21. The Lipedema Foundation will be attending the event, which gathers patients, clinicians, therapists, and researchers for education, networking, and listening.  There are many wonderful aspects of FDRS, and LF has compiled 5 compelling ones we hope will encourage you to attend in 2024!

Lipedema research is still in its infancy. While we do not yet have definitive answers to many questions, a handful of studies published in 2023 provide promising beginnings for future investigation. The studies featured here highlight the steady advancement of a nascent field. The past twelve months saw the publication of 100 papers on Lipedema, with close to 50 primary data papers, and some significant reports funded by the Lipedema Foundation (LF). It is our hope that this forward momentum will serve to inspire our community and ignite new research questions in 2024 and beyond.

The Lipedema Foundation (LF) has taken a big step toward solving a problem at the heart of patients’ struggles: a lack of scientific understanding of Lipedema as a distinct disease. The key place where scientific understanding begins is in research laboratories, which need access to a reliable source of biosamples (also called biological samples) for study. But biosamples have been insufficient for the field of Lipedema research—until now.

In the summer of 2023, LF formed a partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and awarded it a $709,500 grant to help establish the first-ever Lipedema biorepository, or “library” of biosamples. This is a collaborative grant, awarded to investigators in the SALT (Sodium Adipose & Lymphatics Translational) Imaging Lab in the Department of Radiology and the Vascular Medicine Section in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. This biorepository will dramatically expand research capabilities.