Lipedema and GLP-1’s - Can they make a difference?

Recent research says yes - but every body is different.

From the Clinical Journal of  Practice (2025) by Patton, et al, reports that treatment with the GLP-1, exenatide (Buyetta/Bydureon Bcise), whether combined with a change in diet or physical activity, resulted in a reduction in the characteristic symptoms of lipedema, in pain of the adipose tissue fold and in the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue at the levels of the lower limbs, abdomen and upper limbs.

The research indicates that the improvement in symptoms and clinical signs of lipedema, in addition to the reduction in adipose tissue in patients with lipedema and insulin resistance with the GLP-1, exenatide, suggests a novel pharmacological approach to the disease, which can be combined with other conservative and surgical treatments to promote weight reduction. These results also highlight the association of this disease with metabolic alterations and the fundamental role of an accurate diagnosis followed by the treatment of comorbidities and excess weight in these patients.

If you are considering the use of a GLP-1 as part of your condition management plan, reach out to your primary care physician or an endocrinologist for support. Additional recent research to GLP-1 use with lipedema notes that a lower dose may be beneficial in offering improved therapeutic metabolic outcomes. Dr. Karen Herbst, from the University of Arizona, is a leading endocrinologist and lipedema MD within the United States. She offers excellent lipedema resources in support of managing these chronic conditions.

Research article: A Case Series on the Efficacy of the Pharmacological Treatment of Lipedema: The Italian Experience with Exenatide

Dr. Karen Herbst - https://www.theroxburyinstitute.com/about/our-providers/dr-karen-herbst/