What is Haemochromatosis?
Haemochromatosis is a hereditary condition, in which excessive amounts of iron are absorbed from the diet. This iron is deposited in various organs, mainly in
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Inherited disorders are caused by defective genes in the cells of the body. Genes, which are made up of DNA, contain the information, the body needs to develop from the egg, and to maintain itself in good working order. Human beings have about 60,000 genes, and every cell in the body except the egg and sperm cell contain two copies of each. One of these copies is inherited from each parent.
Haemochromatosis is a recessive disorder. This means that it only develops if both copies of the gene are abnormal. If only one copy is defective an individual will be perfectly well but will be a carrier, about 20% of the population are carriers. In the diagrams below the orange colour indicates the defective gene and grey the normal gene. This means:
If both parents are carriers (about 1 in 25 marriages), On average a quarter of the children will develop haemochromatosis, half will be carriers and a quarter will be normal.
If one parent has Haemochromatosis and the other is a carrier
(about 1 in 3,000 marriages) on average half of the children will
develop haemochromatosis and the other half will be
carriers.
If both parents suffer from Haemochromatosis diagram (a rare event, occurring in about 1 in 10,000 marriages) all the children will inherit two defective genes and all will have haemochromatosis.
It should be emphasised that the proportions given in examples 1 and 2 are averages for the whole population. For instance, in any particular family where both parents are carriers, it would be possible for all children to be affected, all to be carriers or all to be normal.
Haemochromatosis is a hereditary condition, in which excessive amounts of iron are absorbed from the diet. This iron is deposited in various organs, mainly in
Haemochromatosis International Haemochromatosis International is a global alliance of haemochromatosis associations, established to advance the health of people with haemochromatosis across Europe, North America,
Begin treatment as soon as possible; the earlier your treatment (the most effective treatment is by venesection) begins the better your chances of staying healthy.
Iron builds up slowly so symptoms may not appear until age 30 or 40. These symptoms include: The early biochemical signs of haemochromatosis tend to
Diagnosis A simple blood test to check your iron status can confirm or rule out iron overload. If both the serum ferritin (SF) and the
Consider testing for haemochromatosis (HH) in: Relatives who are at risk should be tested. This is absolutely essential in the case of brothers and sisters
If you or someone you know has Haemochromatosis, we are always ready to help. Use our helpline, send us an email or join us using the links below.
