Death by Ignorance: Millions of Americans at risk from hemochromatosis, but few doctors know much about it
Hemochromatosis is the biggest genetic killer in North America. Did you know that? Do you know what hereditary hemochromatosis is? Sadly, ignorance of hereditary hemochromatosis, often referred to as HH, is rampant among doctors as well as mere mortals like you and me, leading to countless thousands of preventable deaths every year. Most of those deaths don't come with "hemochromatosis" on the death certificate, but HH is the culprit in many cases of death from liver cancer, heart failure, lung disease, diabetes, and suicide. Just how ignorant are we of this deadly genetic disorder? Here's a quick test: Have you ever heard of one or more of the following genetic conditions: Cystic fibrosis • Down syndrome Sickle cell disease • Haemophilia I'm betting you have heard of them, but guess what? They are all rarer than hereditary hemochromatosis! If you don't believe me you might be tempted to Google "most common genetic disorders" but guess what? Hemo