A new study suggests that liposuction, the cosmetic procedure that removes fat from well-padded areas of the body, may also reduce harmful fat circulating in the blood, writes The Los Angeles Times.
Research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons that was aimed at measuring triglyceride levels in 229 people having liposuction, showed that in people with normal triglyceride levels cosmetic surgery made no difference. But among people with high levels of triglycerides, blood tests taken three months after liposuction surgery showed 43% reduction in triglycerides.
High levels of triglycerides in the blood stream have been linked to hardening of the arteries, and, by extension, to increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Although the research didn’t show that the surgery can in fact lower the risk of heart disease, the results are quite impressive and are basis for further research.
This reduction is about twice the one people usually get by taking cholesterol-lowering medications.