What Is Hemochromatosis?
Hemochromatosis (HE-mo-kro-ma-TO-sis) is a disease
in which too much iron builds up in your body (iron overload). Iron is a
mineral found in many foods.
Too much iron is toxic to your body. It can poison
your organs and cause organ failure. In hemochromatosis, iron can build up in
most of your body's organs, but especially in the liver, heart, and pancreas.
Too much iron in the liver can cause an enlarged
liver, liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis (sir-RO-sis). Cirrhosis is
scarring of the liver, which causes it to not work properly.
Too much iron in the heart can cause
arrhythmias
(ah-RITH-me-ahs), or irregular heartbeats, and
heart
failure. Too much iron in the pancreas can lead to
diabetes.
If hemochromatosis isn't treated, it may even cause
death.
Overview
There are two types of hemochromatosis: primary and
secondary. A defect in the genes that control how much iron you absorb from
food causes primary hemochromatosis. Secondary hemochromatosis usually is the
result of another disease or condition that causes iron overload.
Most people who have primary hemochromatosis inherit
it from their parents. If you inherit two hemochromatosis genesone from
each parentyou're at risk for iron overload and signs and symptoms of the
disease. The two faulty genes cause your body to absorb more iron than usual
from the foods you eat.
Hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic
disorders in the United States. About 1 million people in the United States
have the disease.
Not everyone who has hemochromatosis has signs or
symptoms of the disease. Estimates of how many people develop signs and
symptoms vary greatly. Some estimates suggest that as many as half of all
people who have the disease don't have signs or symptoms.
The severity of hemochromatosis also varies from
person to person. Some people don't have complications, even with high amounts
of iron in their bodies. Others have severe complications or die from the
disease.
Certain factors can affect how severe the disease
is. For example, a high intake of vitamin C can make hemochromatosis worse.
This is because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from food.
Alcohol use can worsen liver damage and cirrhosis
caused by hemochromatosis. Conditions such as hepatitis also can further damage
or weaken the liver.
Outlook
The outlook for
people who have hemochromatosis largely depends on how much organ damage they
have at the time of diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment of the disease are
important.
Treatment may help
prevent, delay, or sometimes reverse complications of the disease. Treatment
also may lead to better quality of life.
For people who are diagnosed and treated early, a
normal lifespan is possible. If left untreated, hemochromatosis can lead to
severe organ damage and even death.
February 2009
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