Comparison of Lipid and Glucose Levels in Individuals with and Without Plantar Fasciitis: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Abstract

Background: Tendon problems and biomechanical alterations are linked to hyperlipidemia. We sought to determine the relationship of plantar fasciitis (PF) with lipid profile parameters and fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels.

Methods: In a case-control study, we enrolled 68 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PF in the case group and 136 individuals without PF in the control group. Patients' height, weight, body mass index (BMI), FBS level, and lipid profile, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels, were compared between the groups. The mean difference of each variable between the patient and control groups was tested using an independent t test. We calculated the odds ratio to quantify the strength of association between PF and elevated lipid profile. Correlation coefficient analyses were used to calculate the correlation of patients' BMI with lipid profile and FBS levels to evaluate the BMI variable as a confounder.

Results: Patients with PF had higher levels of total cholesterol (P = .001), LDL-C (P = .004), and triglycerides (P = .02). Odds ratio calculation showed that patients with serum LDL-C levels greater than 130 mg/dL were 3.3 times more likely to develop PF. We found no association between lipid profile parameters and BMI (as a confounder) in either group.

Conclusions: These findings show higher serum LDL-C parameters in patients with PF and may be sufficient to support a further clinical trial using statin treatment for persistent PF with increased LDL-C levels.