Hereditary Hemochromatosis Linked to Iron Overload Mainly in Men - in Public Health & Policy, Genetics from MedPage Today

Medical News: Hereditary Hemochromatosis Linked to Iron Overload Mainly in Men - in Public Health & Policy, Genetics from MedPage Today: "MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan 17 -- In hereditary hemochromatosis with HFE mutations, iron overload developed in a substantial proportion of men but in only a small number of women, according to researchers here. Action Points


Explain to interested patients that individuals, especially men, with mutations on the genes that control iron absorption have a greater risk of developing iron overload and, as a result, liver disease.
In a prospective study of 31,192 persons, iron-overload-related liver disease developed in 28% of men and 1% of women who were homozygous for C282Y, the HFE allele most commonly associated with hereditary hemochromatosis, found Katrina J. Allen, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Melbourne, and colleagues.
Most persons who are homozygous for C282Y have elevated levels of serum ferritin and transferrin saturation reported, the researchers noted in the Jan. 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Diseases related to iron overload develop in some C282Y homozygotes, but the extent of the risk is debated."