Excess Iron Causes Disease
ironjustice
What Is Iron Overload Disorder? What Is Hemochromatosis? What Causes
Iron Overload Disorder?
Hemochromatosis, or iron overload disorder, is a disorder which makes
the body absorb excessive amounts of iron from the food and drink we
consume. The iron overload gives the skin a bronze color, as well as
damaging the liver and other organs. Commonly, if it is allowed to
progress, the pancreas becomes damaged and the patient develops
diabetes.
The surplus iron is stored in the liver, heart, pancreas and other
organs. Other life-threatening conditions caused by hereditary
hemochromatosis are cancer and heart disease.
As women regularly lose blood during menstruation, hemochromatosis is
less common among females than males. Blood loss means iron loss.
Iron overload disorder can be either:
Passed on genetically; this is known as primary hemochromatosis,
hereditary hemochromatosis, or classic hemochromatosis.
The result of some condition, such as chronic liver disease, that
causes the body to absorb excessive amounts of iron. This is known as
secondary hemochromatosis.
If a patient is diagnosed with hemochromatosis, treatment should start
promptly to avoid further iron accumulation in the body.
Patients diagnosed with hemochromatosis are told to avoid iron-rich
foods, such as red meat, as well as vitamin-C-rich foods - vitamin C
allows the body to absorb more iron.
According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary:
Hemochromatosis is "a disorder of iron metabolism characterized by
excessive absorption of ingested iron, saturation of iron-binding
protein, and deposition of hemosiderin in tissue, particularly in the
liver, pancreas, and skin; cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes (bronze
diabetes), bronze pigmentation of the skin, and, eventually heart
failure may occur; also can result from administration of large
amounts of iron orally, by injection, or in forms of blood transfusion
therapy."
Classic Hemochromatosis is "a specific inherited metabolic defect
[MIM*235200] that increases absorption and accumulation of iron on a
normal diet. It is inherited as autosomal recessive and is caused by a
mutation in the gene HFE on chromosome 6p21.3"
What are the risk factors for iron overload disorder?
A risk factor is something which increases an individual's chances of
developing a disease or condition. For example, smoking raises the
risk of developing lung cancer; therefore, smoking is a risk factor
for lung cancer.
The known risk factors for hemochromatosis are:
Possessing two copies of a mutated HFE gene - the greatest risk factor
for hereditary hemochromatosis. The person inherits one copy of the
mutated HFE gene from each parent.
Family history - anybody who has a close relative (parent, offspring,
brother or sister) with hemochromatosis is significantly more likely
to develop it compared to other people.
Ancestry - people of British, Scandinavian Dutch, German, Irish and
French ancestry have a higher risk of developing hemochromatosis
compared to others. Their risk of having the HFE gene mutation is
greater.
Gender - men are significantly more likely to develop hemochromatosis
compared to women. Signs and symptoms tend to appear earlier on in
life in males than females. This is because women lose iron during
menstruation and pregnancy. A woman's risk increases after the
menopause or a hysterectomy. The male-to-female ratio is 1.8:1 (out of
every 28 people with hemochromatosis, 18 are male and 10 are female).
What are the causes of hemochromatosis?
Most of us absorb approximately 10% of the iron we consume. When we
have sufficient stores of iron the body reduces the amount of iron
absorbed by the intestine to prevent levels from going too high.
People with hereditary hemochromatosis may absorb up to 30% of the
iron they consume. With this rate of intake the body cannot get rid of
the excessive iron fast enough, so it builds up. The body stores the
excess in the tissues of our major organs, mainly in the liver, as
well as the heart and pancreas.
People with hemochromatosis may eventually have built up 5 to 20 times
the amount of iron they should have. Over time the excess iron can
destroy several organs, resulting in organ failure and chronic
diseases, such as cirrhosis, heart disease and diabetes.
Primary hemochromatosis - a genetic mutation Every living organism has
genes. Genes are a set of instructions that decide what the organism
is like, how it survives, and how it behaves in its environment. A
mutation in one gene can significantly change the way our body works.
HFE is the gene that controls the amount of iron we absorb (H = high,
FE means iron). There are two common mutations in the HFE gene - C282Y
and H63D. In the USA, for example, most people with inherited
hemochromatosis have inherited two C282Y copies - one from the mother
and the other from the father.
If you have inherited just one gene with the C282Y mutation you are
not likely to develop iron overload syndrome, although you will
probably absorb more iron than normal. However, you will be a carrier.
Approximately 10% of all Caucasians carry one hemochromatosis gene.
If both your parents are carriers you have a 1 in 4 chance of
inheriting two mutated genes - one from each parent. However, some
people with two copies of the C2H2Y mutation never experience
symptoms.
Some individuals may inherit one C282Y and one H63D mutation. A small
proportion of these people will develop hemochromatosis symptoms.
Inheriting two copies of H63D is very rare, but it does happen. Some
say people with two copies of the H63D mutation are at risk of
developing hemochromatosis, while others disagree.
Secondary hemochromatosis
This type of hemochromatosis occurs as a result of another condition
or circumstance (the patient does not have C282Y or H63D mutations).
Examples include:
A blood disorder, such as thalassemia.
Chronic liver disease, such as chronic hepatitis C infection,
alcoholic liver disease, or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Some types of anemia which require blood transfusion.
Rare inherited diseases that affect red blood cells, including
atransferrinemia or aceruloplasminaemia.
Drinking beer that has been brewed in iron containers (African iron
overload).
Blood transfusions.
Oral iron pills or iron injections, with or without very high vitamin
C intake.
Long-term kidney dialysis.
Juvenile hemochromatosis
In juvenile hemochromatosis iron build up starts much earlier in life
and symptoms appear between 25 and 30 years of age. The patient may
develop diabetes and have problems with sexual development. Left
untreated juvenile hemochromatosis can be fatal. Juvenile
hemochromatosis is an inherited disease caused by a mutation in a gene
called hemojuvelin (the HFE gene is not involved).
Neonatal hemochromatosis
Iron accumulates in the infant's liver so fast that he/she is either
stillborn or dies not long after birth. Experts are not sure what the
causes of neonatal hemochromatosis are.
What are the signs and symptoms of hemochromatosis?
A symptom is something the patient feels or reports, while a sign is
something other people, including a doctor, may detect. For example, a
headache may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.
As signs and symptoms may be mild and could also be indications of
other illnesses and conditions, identifying hemochromatosis is often
not straightforward.
The main symptoms include:
Abdominal pain
Females may stop menstruating
High blood sugar levels
Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function)
Loss of libido (sex drive) and male impotence
Pain in the joints
Reduction in size of testicles
Skin becomes bronzed (has a tanned look)
Tiredness (fatigue)
Weakness
Weight loss
As the disorder progresses, the following conditions may develop:
Arthritis
Cirrhosis of the liver
Diabetes
Enlargement of the liver
Heart disease
Pancreatitis
How is hemochromatosis diagnosed?
As many of the signs and symptoms can exist in other illnesses or
conditions which are much more common, hemochromatosis can be
difficult to diagnose. Some GPs (general practitioners, primary care
physicians) may not have come across it before.
Depending on symptoms, a GP will refer the patient to a hepatologist
(a liver specialist doctor) or cardiologist (heart specialist doctor).
A specialist will be able to diagnose hemochromatosis.
Blood tests - two blood tests can detect iron overload, even before
symptoms appear.
Serum transferring saturation - transferrin is a protein that carries
iron in the blood. This test measures the amount of iron bound to
transferrin. Saturation values over 45% are excessively high.
Serum ferritin - this blood test measures the amount of iron the body
has stored. If serum transferrin levels are too high the doctor will
measure serum ferritin levels.
In order to diagnose hemochromatosis both tests are needed - sometimes
they need to be repeated for better accuracy. This is because several
other diseases and conditions can raise ferritin levels.
These two blood tests are not usually performed routinely. People who
have a parent, child or sibling with hemochromatosis are advised to
have these tests, as are people with any of the following signs and
symptoms:
Diabetes
Elevated liver enzymes
Erectile dysfunction (male impotence)
Extreme tiredness
Heart disease
Joint disease
People who abuse alcohol, have had many blood transfusions, or have
had hepatitis C may have blood tests that suggest iron overload. To
confirm a diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis, the following
additional tests may be ordered:
Genetic testing - the test will determine whether the patient carries
the HFE gene.
Liver biopsy - the doctor removes a sample of liver tissue with a
needle. It is sent to the laboratory to determine what the levels of
iron are, whether there is any scarring, cirrhosis or other liver
damage.
What is the treatment for hemochromatosis?
Venesection (phlebotomy) - iron-rich blood is removed from the body
regularly, just as if the patient were donating blood. In this case
the aim is to bring iron levels down to normal. How much blood is
taken and how often depends on the patient's age, overall health and
the severity of the iron overload. In most cases blood is removed
weekly until levels are back to normal.
When iron levels build up again the patient will need venesection
treatment again.
Although venesection cannot reverse the symptoms of cirrhosis, it can
improve symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain and fatigue.
Medication - the patient may be given a drug that binds iron, which is
then excreted from the body.
If hemochromatosis is diagnosed and treated early, before too much
excessive iron accumulates, the patient should have a normal lifespan,
experts say.
What are the possible complications of iron overload?
If hemochromatosis is left untreated there can be a number of
complications, including:
Cirrhosis - permanent scarring of the liver, which can lead to serious
and life-threatening complications.
Liver cancer - individuals with both cirrhosis and hemochromatosis
have a significantly higher risk of developing liver cancer compared
to others.
Diabetes - diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as kidney
failure, blindness, and heart problems.
Congestive heart failure - if too much iron builds up in the heart the
body may fail to circulate enough blood to meet its needs. Congestive
heart failure is a life-threatening disease if left untreated.
Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) - the patient may experience
chest pain, palpitations and dizziness.
Skin color - the individual's skin can take on a bronze or gray color
because of the deposits of iron in skin cells.
Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
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Ken
Mike Collins
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It's always been obvious that you don't understand and often don't
even read the stuff you post. Youv'e just posted this
"Drinking beer that has been brewed in iron containers (African iron
overload)."
as an example of causes of iron overload.
This is also known as Bantu Siderosis. When I told you of this
condition some time ago you refused to believe in it.
Quote
Me:
You seem to think that non-haem iron cannot be absorbed to excess.
Have you ever heard of Bantu Siderosis in which the iron overload is
caused by drinking beer brewed in iron pots?
You:
YEP .. vegetarian .. Bantus .. ever hear of one ?
Who loves ya.
Tom
Mike Collins
God is a carnivore. He demanded animal sacrifices and punished Adam
and Eve for eating fruit.