Blood lipid profiles following nonfocused ultrasonic treatment for noninvasive body contouring

Aim: Blood lipid profiles changed following nonfocused ultrasound treatments for body contouring. The present study elucidates clinical effects of these devices on adipose tissue. Methods: Ultrasound treatments for 5 males and 5 females in a supine position, ages 37-67 years, were applied at 20 KHz and 3.0 W/cm2 in modulated emission. Whole abdomen was treated by an ultrasound handpiece for 30 min followed by a 6-min lymphatic drainage. Waist circumferences at the level of the umbilicus and body weight were measured before and immediately after treatment. Blood lipid profiles including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride (TG), nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and lipoprotein-a were measured at baseline, every 10 min during treatment, and 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min after treatment completion. Results: NEFA showed statistically higher values after 10 min following treatment initiation. Subsequent values remained high despite some fluctuation, reaching a maximum at 90 min. In contrast, TG gradually decreased in concentration until the last measurement, especially for the first 30 min, with statistically significant reduction. Changes in other lipid profiles and lipoprotein-a were not significant. Conclusion: Changes in NEFA concentration were significant following ultrasound treatment, and suggest that metabolism of TGs stored within the adipocytes occurred immediately after treatment initiation.