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FITNESS TIPS : Are Your Feet Telling You Something?
Know anyone -- maybe you -- complaining about a painful Achilles tendon? A foot checkup and a cholesterol test may be in order.

Topic: Remedies
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Achilles tendonitis -- a painful, chronically inflamed Achilles tendon -- can happen if you overdo it on the treadmill or the hiking trails. But it also could be a sign that you have an inherited high cholesterol disorder. The condition -- known as heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia -- produces cholesterol deposits that wreak havoc with corneas, eyelids, and certain tendons. It also dramatically increases early heart disease risk.

Researchers estimate that about 1 in 500 people in the U.S. and Europe may have heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. And although many of those people may have complained at an early age -- as early as their 20s or 30s -- about an achy Achilles tendon, most doctors don't routinely test cholesterol when tendonitis is the diagnosis. But early diagnosis of high cholesterol -- or a familial predisposition to developing it -- can help get people on a disease-prevention program sooner and keep hearts healthier longer.

In addition to Achilles tendonitis, there are other foot issues that should raise a red flag in terms of your health. Pain, swelling, redness, excessively dry skin, and thickened or discolored nails, as well as tingling, numbness, stiffness, or other unusual sensations, should be assessed by a healthcare provider. Remember, foot pain is not a normal part of aging, and getting it diagnosed and treated can save you from more serious complications down the road.

SOURCES: Familial hypercholesterolaemia commonly presents with Achilles tenosynovitis. Beeharry, D., Coupe, B., Benbow, E. W., Morgan, J., Kwok, S., Charlton-Menys, V., France, M., Durrington, P. N., Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2006 Mar;65(3):312-315.

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