Liposuction may be a way to remove unsightly fat, but is unlikely to bring a health benefit by changing LDL, or "bad," cholesterol concentrations in your body, according to a 2008 study published in the journal "Obesity." You want to keep your LDL cholesterol low because, when too much of it circulates in the blood, it builds up in the arteries that go to the heart and brain. It joins with the enzyme lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 to form plaque, which makes arteries narrower and less flexible. This condition, atherosclerosis, is dangerous because a person can suffer a stroke or heart attack if a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery.
Fat Cell Size
While removing fat, liposuction does not decrease fat cell size. Dieting, on the other hand, does reduce fat cell size, which appears necessary to reduce risk factors for coronary heart disease. Dieting can lower cholesterol. The higher a person's cholesterol, the higher the risk of coronary heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.
Long-Term Studies
Short-term studies have long shown that liposuction practice does not lower LDL. A 2008 study published in the journal "Obesity" set out to determine whether post-surgical inflammation masked more positive results. The study found that positive benefits were not masked; meaning liposuction did not lower LDL in the long term.
Fat Can Stay Off
Liposuction can change a person's body weight and appearance in the long-term. However, it will not lower any risk factors for coronary heart disease because it does not change blood pressure, blood-glucose tolerance, HDL- or LDL- concentrations.
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