The Benefits of Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat (LCHF) Diet on Body Composition, Leg Volume, and Pain in Women with Lipedema

Table 4

Comparison of anthropometric and body composition measurements before and after dietary intervention in the study groups.

Parameter	Lipedema group (n = 28) mean ± SD/me (Q1, Q3)			Overweight/obesity group (n = 24) mean ± SD/me (Q1, Q3)			Differences between baseline and 7 months mean ± SD/me (Q1, Q3)
	Baseline	7 months	values	Baseline	7 months	values	Lipedema	Overweight/obesity	t/Z	values
Weight (kg)	83.8 (76.9, 93.3)	73.4 (64.4, 83.2)	≤0.001	91.9 (79.8, 97.8)	77.1 (67.2, 86.5)	<0.001	−10.8 (6.4, 14.5)	−11.9 (10.5, 13.8)	1.49	0.14^
BMI (kg/m^2)	31.4 ± 6.2	27.3 ± 5.1	≤0.001	34.1 ± 4.6	29.3 ± 4.0	≤0.001	−4.1 ± 2.5	−4.8 ± 1.8	1.55	0.12^
LBM (kg)	51.2 ± 6.8	48.7 ± 5.6	<0.001	52.4 ± 7.2	49.7 ± 6.9	<0.001	−2.5 ± 2.5	−2.7 ± 3.0	0.74	0.74
PBF (%)	39.9 (35.7, 42.8)	33.8 (27.8, 37.4)	<0.001	40.5 (36.8, 43.6)	33.2 (28.9, 39.3)	<0.001	−6.0 (3.4, 8.3)	−6.3 (4.5, 8.4)	0.57	0.57^
MBF (kg)	33.6 (28.4, 39.2)	25.2 (18.8, 30.2)	<0.001	36.7 (29.3, 43.1)	25.5 (20.0, 34.5)	<0.001	−7.4 (5.5, 12.7)	−9.3 (7.2, 11.9)	1.33	0.18^
TBW (kg)	38.4 ± 5.5	37.6 ± 6.3	0.12	39.1 ± 5.5	37.0 ± 5.3	<0.001	−0.9 ± 2.8	−2.1 ± 2.3	1.72	0.09
VFL	14.0 (8.5, 16.5)	9.5 (4.0, 12.0)	<0.001	10.5 (8.0, 13.5)	8.0 (6.0, 10.0)	<0.001∗∗	−3.0 (2.0, 5.0)	−3.0 (2.0, 3.0)	−0.95	0.35^
Waist (cm)	97.8 ± 12.8	86 ± 11.4	≤0.001	106.5 ± 10.6	94.1 ± 11.8	≤0.001	−11.7 ± 6.6	−12.4 ± 6.3	0.38	0.71
Hips (cm)	115.3 (106.5, 122.0)	107.0 (98.0, 111.8)	<0.001	114.5 (108.5, 120.0)	104.3 (100.5, 108.3)	<0.001	−8.5 (6.3, 11.8)	−8.8 (7.3, 11.5)	0.6	0.55^
WHR	0.8 ± 0.1	0.8 ± 0.1	<0.001	0.9 ± 0.1	0.9 ± 0.1	0.02	0.0 ± 0.0	0.0 ± 0.1	−0.43	0.67
Left thigh (cm)	65.0 ± 7.0	59.2 ± 5.6	≤0.001	64.8 ± 5.7	59.0 ± 5.3	≤0.001	−5.9 ± 3.1	−5.9 ± 2.2	−0.03	0.98
Right thigh (cm)	64.9 ± 6.9	58.9 ± 5.6	≤0.001	64.9 ± 5.9	59.0 ± 5.5	≤0.001	−5.9 ± 3.3	−5.9 ± 2.4	−0.09	0.93
Left calf (cm)	44.0 (40.3, 46.5)	40.3 (37.5, 43.0)	<0.001	42.0 (40.3, 44.0)	39.3 (37.5, 41.3)	<0.001	−3.5 (2.8, 4.8)	−2.8 (1.8, 4.0)	−1.8	0.07^
Right calf (cm)	44.3 (40.3, 47.0)	41.3 (37.8, 43.0)	<0.001	42.3 (39.3, 44.8)	39.5 (37.5, 41.0)	<0.001	−3.0 (2.0, 4.5)	−2.5 (1.8, 3.3)	−1.56	0.12^
Left ankle (cm)	24.5 (23.5, 26.0)	23.8 (22.5, 25.0)	<0.001	23.0 (22.0, 24.5)	23.0 (22.3, 24.0)	0.09	−1.0 (0.5, 1.5)	−0.5 (0.0, 0.5)	−3.2	<0.01^
Right ankle (cm)	24.0 (23.5, 26.0)	23.3 (22.5, 24.8)	<0.001	23.3 (22.3, 24.5)	23.0 (22.2, 24.0)	0.04	−1.0 (0.5, 1.8)	−0.5 (0.0, 0.8)	−2.72	<0.01^
Left leg VOL (ml)	11216.5 (10110.0, 14152.0)	9707.5 (8785.0, 11849.8)	<0.001	10946.0 (8840.0, 12576.0)	8725.5 (7421.0, 10524.0)	<0.001	−1395.5 (811.5, 2614.0)	−1443.2 (1066.0, 2057.5)	−0.09	0.93^
Right leg VOL (ml)	11910.5 (10208.5, 14259.0)	10063.0 (8543.5, 12556.5)	<0.001	11239.0 (8991.0, 12185.0)	9503.8 (7578.0, 10892.0)	<0.001	−1524.0 (865.0, 2357.5)	−1487.5 (1031.5, 1961.5)	−0.07	0.94^
VAS	4.6 ± 2.6	3.0 ± 2.3	<0.001	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

BMI, body mass index; LBM, lean body mass; PBF, percentage body fat; MBF, mass of body fat; TBW, total body water; VFL, visceral fat level; WHR, waist-hip ratio; VOL, volume; RMR, resting metabolic rate; T-test; Wilcoxon test; ^Mann–Whitney U test; df = 23 (overweight/obesity); df = 27 (lipedema); statistically significant values.