What Is Hemochromatosis?
8. Who’s At Risk
There is an increased chance of somebody having hemochromatosis if there is a history of the disease in the family. The risk is even higher if two parents have the mutated gene. Ethnicity is another contributing factor, and northern Europeans in particular are at a higher risk of developing the condition.
Sex is also a factor in who is more likely to have the disease. Because women menstruate, which causes them to lose iron in their blood, they are less likely to show symptoms. When women do show symptom it is likely to be later than men. Women become more prone to the symptoms after the menopause which means they stop menstruating.
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