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VASCULAR BIOLOGY

Ketogenic therapies for lymphedema?

Nature Metabolism volume 1, pages 656–657 (2019)Cite this article

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Lymphedema, a condition of fluid retention and tissue swelling, is currently incurable and is treated primarily with physical therapy. Studies in mice reveal that intake of a ketogenic diet or exogenous ketone bodies may alleviate lymphedema by increasing the formation of lymphatic vessels, which can drain excess lymph fluid.

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Fig. 1: Ketone body metabolism supports lymphangiogenesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Patrycja Puchalska & Peter A. Crawford

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Peter A. Crawford

Authors
  1. Patrycja Puchalska
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  2. Peter A. Crawford
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Correspondence to Patrycja Puchalska or Peter A. Crawford.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Puchalska, P., Crawford, P.A. Ketogenic therapies for lymphedema?. Nat Metab 1, 656–657 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-019-0090-3

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