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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
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Hemochromatosis is a common blood disorder that is easy to treat, but low on the list of suspected diseases when patients have vague symptoms. Characterized by iron overload in the blood, it could be the culprit for such otherwise unexplained symptoms as fatigue, joint pain, and infertility issues. Over time, the toxic effects of the excess iron can lead to damaging diseases like diabetes, congestive heart failure, and endocrine system problems.
Hemochromatosis is probably the most common disease you've never heard of, as well as the single most common genetic disorder in the American population. An estimated one in 10 Americans carry the genetic trait for hemochromatosis, and about one in 250 are considered at highest risk because they carry the genetic trait from both parents.
But it is grossly under-recognized and grossly under-treated.
Because early signs of the disease mimic numerous other disorders, some physicians are pursuing more frequent screenings for hemochromatosis, especially among family members of patients diagnosed with the disease. If the disease can be caught before people manifest complications from hemochromatosis, they can be treated with very low-tech, very cheap and very safe methods, preventing complications and allowing them to lead a perfectly normal life.
The treatment - regularly scheduled donations of a unit of blood to eliminate excess iron in the body – has the added bonus of contributing to the community blood supply.
A telltale sign of the disease is skin that has turned bronze, an indication of iron accumulation in the skin that points to the onset of “bronze diabetes,” an insulin-dependent form of diabetes. But that damaging disorder, as well as congestive heart failure and other complications, can surface up to 10 or 15 years after onset of hemochromatosis. As the excess iron accumulates, its toxic effects can lead to scarring and inflammation in organ systems.
A simple blood test to detect iron levels followed by a genetic assay can be used to detect the disease. Recognizing the possibility of hemochromatosis at the earliest point possible is important for preventing irreversible complications of the disease.
This article is based on information provided by The Ohio State University Medical Center Media Relations Office and was adapted for use on NetWellness with permission, 2005.
Last Reviewed: May 04, 2005
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Mark Wurster, MD Clinical Assistant Professor Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine The Ohio State University |
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