Hemochromatosis
Definition
Hemochromatosis is an inherited blood disorder that causes the body to retain excessive amounts of iron. This iron overload can lead to serious health consequences, most notably cirrhosis of the liver.
Description
Hemochromatosis is also known as iron overload, bronze diabetes, hereditary hemochromatosis, and familial hemochromatosis. The inherited disorder causes increased absorption of intestinal iron, well beyond that needed to replace the body's loss of iron. Iron overload diseases afflict as many as 1.5 million persons in the United States. The most common of these, as well as one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States, is hereditary hemochromatosis. Men and women are...
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