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HEALTH ALERT:
· I have a condition called
Hemochromatosis (he-ma-kro-ma-to-sis) for some
years. It is a hereditary disorder affecting iron metabolism in which
excessive amounts of iron accumulate in body tissues. The disorder is
characterized by diabetes mellitus, liver dysfunction, heart problems, and
other conditions.
How does a person become affected by Hemochromatosis?
Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is caused by a pair
of genes that do not work properly due to a mutation - or change - in the gene.
People with this disorder inherit one copy of the improperly working gene from
each of their parents. Currently, three mutations are known to contribute to
HH, and they are called the "Cys" (C282Y, Cys282Tyr) and "His" (H63D, His63
Asp) and "Ser" (S65C, Ser65Cys) mutations.
People who inherit only one gene with a mutation
are called "carriers." Some carriers have symptoms of HH. Their children are
also at risk of inheriting the mutation. When both parents are either carriers
or affected with HH, a child can inherit the potential to develop HH.
Symptoms of HH are not seen in all individuals with two
mutations. Many environment factors such as diet and alcohol consumption affect
the development and severity of symptoms. Although the genetic cause of the
disease cannot be fixed, HH can be managed by phlebotomy (removing blood from
the body).
Symptoms of HH can be very vague and often go undiagnosed
for years. During this time, storage of iron can do damage to the
internal organs. Determining a person's HH gene status can identify those at
risk to develop iron overload before overload occurs. Monitoring blood iron
levels and implementing treatment early may prevent symptoms from developing
and organ damage from occurring. (Stranglely people who are anemic may have
HH.)
More than 1.5 million Americans are affected by HH.
Including at least one South African!
If you need to know more about HH please visit the web.
There are many interesting articles
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