Lipedema
Conditions
Brief summary
The proposed study is for women with lipedema, a painful fat disorder where fat cannot be lost from the legs and hips with diet and exercise. The study will compare the use of the specialized exercise equipment called HYPOXI, which is like a bike but you lie down and air circulates around the participant's legs like a vacuum with pressure increasing and decreasing in cycles over time. The goal of the study is to see if using a HYPOXI bike compared to a regular recumbent (sit down) bike helps women with lipedema lose weight. The women with lipedema in the study will have the option to use a whole-body suit that works like a pump and was designed to improve blood circulation in the body. The body suit is called Dermology and can be used before the HYPOXI exercise equipment but will be optional for the women in the study. The study is 16 weeks long for 20 women with lipedema. Ten women with lipedema will exercise with HYPOXI for 8 weeks then switch to a recumbent bike for the second 8 weeks. The other 10 women will exercise on a recumbent bike for 8 weeks then switch to HYPOXI for 8 weeks in the second half of the study. Baseline, mid-study, and end of study data will be collected including measurements of body composition and shape, a blood draw at the beginning, middle and end, and questionnaires. This study will be listed on clinicaltrials.gov for more information.
Interventions
DEVICEHypoxi Equipment
Using the Hypoxi exercise equipment to try and improve lipedema fat tissue
DEVICERecumbent Bicycle
Recumbent bike is a piece of exercise equipment used as the comparison group
Sponsors
University of Arizona
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Female * 18-65 years of age * Lipedema any stage * Weight \< 300 lbs. * Able to participate for 4 months * Self-reported weight stable * Able to use Hypoxi equipment & recumbent bike * Able to undergo baseline, mid- and end-study in Tucson.
Exclusion criteria
* Hip width \> 30 inches (76.2 cm) * Waist width \> 46 inches * Pregnancy * Use of weight loss medication within 3 months of the study * History of myocardial infarction * New York Heart Association Functional Class II or above congestive heart failure * Sustained tachycardia above calculated maximum heart rate limit
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bioimpedence Scale Assessment of Total Body Lean Body Mass | Change in muscle mass from baseline to end of study arm (8 weeks) | Whole body muscle content in kilograms |
| Bioimpedence Scale Assessment of Total Body Fat Mass | Change in fat mass from baseline to end of study arm (8 weeks) | Whole body fat mass in kilograms |
| Bioimpedence Scale Assessment of Total Body Water | Change in total body water from baseline to end of study arm (8 weeks) | Total body water in kilograms |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resting energy expenditure | Change in resting energy expenditure from baseline to end of study arm (8 weeks) | Resting energy expenditure by MedGem Device in kcal/day |
| Waist/Hip ratio | Change in waist/hip ratio from baseline to end of study arm (8 weeks) | Waist and hip measurements using a tape measure; this is a ratio with no units |
Contacts
Primary ContactKaren L Herbst, MD, PhD
Outcome results
None listed