Haemochromatosis

What is it?

Haemochromatosis is an inherited condition in which iron levels in the body slowly build up over many years. Haemochromatosis most often affects people of white northern European background and is particularly common in countries with a Celtic background, such as Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

What are the symptoms? Symptoms usually start between the ages of 30 and 60 and include feeling tired all the time, weight loss, weakness, joint pain, erectile dysfunction and irregular or absent periods. See your GP if you have a parent or sibling with haemochromatosis, even if you don’t have symptoms yourself.

Iron can be deposited in heart muscle and cause heart failure.

What are the causes? Haemochromatosis is caused by a faulty gene that affects how the body absorbs iron from food. You’re at risk of developing the condition if both of your parents have this faulty gene and you inherit one copy from each of them. You won’t get haemochromatosis if you only inherit one copy, but there’s a chance you could pass the faulty gene on to any children you have.

What’s the treatment?

There’s currently no cure for haemochromatosis, but there are treatments that can reduce the amount of iron in the body.

„ Phlebotomy – bloodletting to remove some of your blood, perhaps weekly then every few months once your iron levels come down to normal.

„Chelation therapy – intravenous chemicals called chelating agents grab on to iron and remove it from the body.

There’s no dietary advice but it’s best to avoid breakfast cereals containing added iron, and steer clear of iron or vitamin C supplements and drinking too much alcohol.

What are the complications?

If the high iron levels aren’t brought down they can inflict liver problems, diabetes, arthritis and heart failure.