• Hemochromatosis: What Every Clinician and Health Care Professional Needs to Know is an online training course developed by the CDC, in collaboration with hemochromatosis experts throughout the United States. The course includes information on epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with iron overload and hemochromatosis. As of November 2005, more than 500 professionals have received continuing education credits.

• Hemochromatosis: Information and Resources for Health Care Providers
  This chapter provides an overview of the current CDC public health strategy for increasing awareness and early detection of hemochromatosis.
  Reyes M, Dunet D, Blanck HM, Grossniklaus D. CDC, Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention. Genomics and Population Health: United States, 2003. Atlanta, GA; 2004.

• Hemochromatosis: Information for Patients
  Hemochromatosis and Iron Overload Disease. This brochures answers many questions patients and their families may have aout the condition.
  This is also available as a print-friendly Adobe Acrobat document (247K)

Research

• Using Family-Based Detection to Identify People at Risk For Hemochromatosis
  In late 2005, CDC completed a 2-year study to understand family-based detection as a public health strategy to identify people at risk for hemochromatosis. This qualitative study assessed barriers and facilitators of risk communication among 60 hemochromatosis patients, 25 siblings, and 10 physicians. Results are currently being analyzed and will be available in late spring 2006. Please check back at that time.

• Effect of Consuming Iron Supplements on Body Iron Status
  CDC researchers analyzed data from a national health survey of 6,000 Americans and concluded that older men and women who consumed more than 32 mg of iron daily (either from multivitamins containing iron or from iron supplements) had higher body iron stores than those who took less than 25 mg of iron daily. This research suggests that iron supplement users should be made aware of the amount of iron necessary to satisfy dietary requirements and informed of the possible influence that excess iron intake can have on body iron stores and health.
  
  
  • Use of Iron supplements and iron status: results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  (last accessed 5/2007)
    Blanck HM, Cogswell ME, Gillespie C, Reyes M.
    Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82:1024–1030.

• A Comparison Study to Assess the Comparability of Results For Serum Iron and Iron-Binding Capacity Assays From Different Laboratories
  In 1997, a CDC panel of hemochromatosis experts recommended that transferrin saturation (a measure calculated from both serum iron and iron-binding capacity) be used as the initial test for diagnosing hemochromatosis. In response, CDC researchers conducted a study to assess the comparability of test results from different laboratories. Analysis of data from 25 laboratories (22 in the United States and 3 in Europe) determined there was good agreement between different testing methods with better results for total iron-binding capacity than for another approach, unsaturated iron-binding capacity. In addition, laboratories using copper correction and true protein removal measured iron more accurately than other laboratories.
  
  
  • Serum iron and iron-binding capacity A round robin interlaboratory comparison study.*
    (last accessed 5/2007)
    Blanck HM, Pfeiffer CM, Caudill SP, Reyes M, Gunter EW, Imperatore G, Van Assendelft OW, Strider S, Dearth T. Clin Chem. 2003;49:1672–1675.

• Choosing a Biomarker to Assess Nutritional Status
  A CDC eview document to help professionals use and interpret nutritional biomarkers in public health research.
  • Laboratory issues: use of nutritional biomarkers. * (last accessed 5/2007)
    Blanck HM, Bowman BA, Cooper GR, Myers G, Miller DT.J Nutr 2003;133:888S–894S.
    

• Iron Disorders Institute (IDI)* (last accessed 5/2007)
  IDI is a national voluntary health agency (nonprofit organization) that provides patient services, books, and literature about hemochromatosis and other disorders of iron.

• American Liver Foundation (ALF)* (last accessed 5/2007)
  The American Liver Foundation is the nation's leading nonprofit organization promoting liver health and disease prevention. ALF provides research, education and advocacy for those affected by hepatitis and other liver-related diseases.
  
  For general information on iron overload and hemochromatosis, questions or comments, please contact the CDC at cdcinfo@cdc.gov.