Risk factors for lymphedema patients

Background: Lymphedema is edema developing mainly in the arms and legs due to an abnormal lymphatic system, over 100 millions of patients worldwide suffer from it. At present, prevention is the best treatment. Thus, it is important to know which patients are more prone to develop it in order to prevent it. By evaluating the risk factors for lymphedema, we intended to find effective preven-tion. Methods: We have investigated that outpatients who chiefly complained of lymphedema visited the lymphedema clinic at one University hospital from September 1 in 2003 to August 31 in 2005. We evaluated the risk factor for lymphedema by question-naires. Results: The total number of patients was 50, 19 patients with breast cancer and 41 patients with cervical cancer. The incidence of lymphangitis was more frequent, more obese and the impair-ment of the site of oedema more severe, the stage of cancer was higher in the patients higher than stage 2 than in the patients below stage 1. Conclusion: Obesity is the one of risk factors of lymphedema, so we are able to prevent lymphedema and protect the aggravation of oedema by weight reduction. PO0379 Recent trends in obesity and risk of diabetes, hypertension and hypertension- diabetes co-morbidity (HDC) in Englan