Liposuction has been used exclusively for cosmetic reasons – fat reduction and body contouring. A new study presented at the ASPS annual meeting 2011 suggests that there may be some real health benefits of liposuction.
In this study, following liposuction, patients with high triglycerides were shown to have a 43% reduction in triglyceride levels. This is about twice the reduction in triglyceride achieved by a medication used for triglyceride reduction. High triglyceride is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.
The clinical significance of this needs to be studied further. Liposuction should not be a substitute for medical therapy. Liposuction may however help to reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes in patients with high triglycerides.