What is the outcome of iron overload disease?
When iron overload disease is diagnosed early, it is easily treated and damage to organs can be completely prevented. You can return to normal health and enjoy a normal life expectancy. The tendency to overabsorb iron will remain, but maintenance treatment can ensure that the iron does not reaccumulate. Undetected and untreated excess iron eventually kills after inflicting injury to a variety of body organs. The outcome for people who already have organ damage at the time of diagnosis depends on the severity of the damage. Usually, further damage can be prevented by removing the excess iron as quickly as possible. Sometimes the damage can even be reversed. In people where the disease has caused cirrhosis, treatment can still improve other problems such as heart function, skin colour and diabetes. The cirrhosis is irreversible, however, and the risk of developing liver cancer remains high, even once excess iron is removed and the iron level is normalised. About 25% of people with haemoc
