Causes of Lipodystrophy

Lipodystrophy, commonly known as fat redistribution, is a medical condition characterized by degenerative and abnormal functioning of the adipose tissue present in an individual's body. Patients suffering from lipodystrophy generally experience loss of fat from selective regions of the body; however, the face, arms and the back are the most commonly affected regions by this disease. The loss of fat from the face of an individual is generally termed as lipoatrophy. Despite the fact that the exact causes that lead to lipodystrophy are not known clearly yet, there are various factors that contribute to the development of lipodystrophy in individuals.

Repeated Injections

• It has been found that lipodystrophy can emerge in the form of a lump or a swelling if an individual takes injections on the same place repeatedly. Even though this form of lipodystrophy is pretty mild and is quite harmless in nature, it still causes a lot of pain to the individual. Thus, doctors always suggest individuals take injections at different sites so as to reduce the probability of developing lipodystrophy.

Antiretroviral Drugs

• Certain antiretroviral drugs, such as protease inhibitors and integrase inhibitors, among others, have been found to lead to the development of lipodystrophy. These drugs generally cause the degeneration of the lining of the adipose tissue, thus increasing the probability of developing lipodystrophy due to abnormal functioning of the adipose tissue.

Genetic and Hereditary Factors

• Heredity plays a vital role in the transmission of lipodystrophy from one generation to the other. Also, certain medical conditions running in the family such as diabetes and heart problems also increase the chances of developing lipodystrophy, because they lead to the degeneration of the adipose tissue in severe cases and cause other metabolic abnormalities in the body, thus increasing the probability of acquiring lipodystrophy.

Other Common Factors

• Various other common factors such as insulin resistance or rejection, increased levels of lipids and cholesterol and HIV infection are often considered to be major factors contributing to the development of lipodystrophy.

Treatment Methods

• Because lipodystrophy is a very benign disease and is not life-threatening, no specific treatments have been developed yet. However, surgery is the most commonly used form of treatment, During surgery, the lipid lumps or swellings are surgically removed so as to prevent any further spreading of this disease. This form of surgery is done under local anesthesia and is not very painful.