Down at heel with cholesterol A painful Achilles tendon could indicate an inherited tendency to have
high
cholesterol, which carries a high risk of heart disease, British researchers say.
Wider recognition of the link between Achilles tendon pain and so-called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia - or HeFH - could lead to earlier diagnosis of this disorder. Principal investigator Dr Paul Durrington, from the Manchester Royal Infirmary, noted that HeFH is "the most common genetic disorder in Europe and the US, affecting one in 500 people".
He explained that it is due to a mutation of a gene controlling removal of cholesterol from the blood circulation. "Levels of cholesterol are doubled from birth ...
untreated, it leads to coronary heart disease early in life."
One feature of untreated HeFH is that cholesterol is deposited not only in the arteries but also in tendons. This may lead to swelling and painful inflammation of the Achilles tendon.
"Our study suggests that Achilles tendon pain lasting three days or more is 6.75 times more likely to occur in patients with HeFH than in the general population," the authors note. Published in Annals of Rheumatic Disease , reported by Reuters.