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 genes—one from each parent—you'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