Sunday, 20-Jan-2008 -- More than one quarter of men with hemochromatosis develop liver cancer, arthritis and other complications, Australian researchers have discovered.

Hemochromatosis, the most common inherited blood disorder, causes the body to absorb up to three times the normal amount of iron in the blood. The disease can be difficult to diagnose because its early symptoms can often be attributed to other causes and the most common treatment is to remove blood.

According to the researchers if the condition is untreated, 28.4 percent of men will develop disorders caused by the iron overload.

The researchers studied 1,438 men and women for an average of 12 years. They found that 108 women and 95 men inherited a defective gene known as HFE from both parents making them susceptible to absorbing too much iron from food, potentially leading to iron overload.

The scientists found that of the men with an inherited predisposition for hemochromatosis, almost three in 10 had excessive iron in their tissues and organs, which led to diseases including liver cancer and arthritis.
Of women with the disorder, 1.2 percent had documented iron overload and associated ailments, the scientists said.

The researchers suggest that women may have fewer complications than men because of the blood and iron lost during menstruation and pregnancy and their slower rate of iron accumulation.

The scientists said sufferers could expect a normal life span if they started treatment before organ damage began.