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Denver — Liposuction patients may experience a reduction in triglyceride levels and white blood cell counts, possibly decreasing their risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes, Globe Newswire reports.
A new study, results of which were presented here last week at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) annual conference, measured triglyceride and cholesterol levels in 322 patients undergoing liposuction and/or a tummy tuck. Most of the patients, 71 percent, had liposuction only. Triglyceride levels in patients with normal preoperative levels were unchanged. However, patients with at-risk levels, defined as greater than or equal to 150 mg/dl, experienced an average postsurgery reduction of 43 percent — about twice the effect achieved with a commonly prescribed drug.
The study also found that white blood cell counts decrease an average of 11 percent after the procedure.
Globe Newswire quotes Eric Swanson, M.D., ASPS Member Surgeon and study author, as saying, “For years, it has been assumed that ‘visceral fat’ surrounding the internal organs has greater metabolic importance and is more directly linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk than ‘subcutaneous fat’ that lies under the skin. These new findings support recent studies suggesting subcutaneous fat, which can be reduced by liposuction, is just as metabolically important.”
Dr. Swanson noted that the study’s findings do not mean liposuction can replace medications in patients with very high triglyceride levels. The study emphasizes the need for further research to determine whether these favorable changes in triglyceride and white blood cell levels translate to reduced health risk.
