Diagnosis and testing for hemochromatosis
Benefits of Lab Testing in Hemochromatosis Awareness is essential for iron overload. Hundreds of thousands of people carry the genetics associated with hereditary hemochromatosis, yet many have no idea. Some estimates show 1 in 9 people of Northern European descent is a carrier of the genetic mutation that can cause this disease. Entire families may […]
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Transferrin Saturation in Hemochromatosis In hemochromatosis, an important lab marker is the transferrin saturation percentage. Because the body is constantly absorbing more iron from food than it needs to, there is a constant influx of iron into the blood. Transferrin attempts to keep up with this excess by rapidly binding and transporting iron to the
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Ferritin in Hemochromatosis Ferritin is often called the “storage” location for iron in the body. In someone without hemochromatosis, it is the second most common place where iron is found in the body (second only to hemoglobin) and provides a necessary role for providing a “savings account” for iron for times of famine or low-iron,
Therapeutic phlebotomy is the cornerstone, front line, most important element of hemochromatosis treatment. In hemochromatosis, therapeutic phlebotomy is a procedure that removes blood from a person’s body with the specific goal of reducing iron overload. Therapeutic phlebotomy involves the same procedure as blood donation; the primary difference is how often we give blood. Phlebotomy (aka
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What is Type 1 Hereditary Hemochromatosis? Hereditary hemochromatosis is a genetic condition in which people absorb too much iron from their diet. While iron is good for you in the proper amounts, the hemochromatosis gene may cause excess absorption of iron. Eventually, this increased iron absorption leads to iron overload. There are several types of
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