What to Tell the Relatives

                            A caring blood relative wants you to have the following information.  

A medical disorder of too much nutritional iron has been found in your family.  Iron overload
is caused by a metabolic defect that causes the over absorption of iron from an ordinary diet.  At first this may seem like bad news, but really is not.  If caught in time iron overload is completely treatable and the treatment returns the patient to normal lifespan.  This treatment will have every chance to reverse most if not all symptoms.  This is really where the good news is couched.  Symptoms like diabetes. low energy,  liver cirrhosis and arthritis may be reversed with protocol treatment.  This does not pretend to be a complete list of symptoms.  Actually the symptoms are very wide ranging including problems with the brain.  It is fatal only if not detected or neglected.

Who should be checked and how often?
Everybody in the bloodline will need to be checked for too much iron at each and every physical no matter the age and no matter the gender.  If a relative is found clear one year he or she may be loaded the next.  Children and even neonates can be involved.  Family members without symptoms need also to be checked.  This is the best time to catch this health problem.  Anemia is not a protection against too much iron but a symptom.  See our section on anemia on our web site, address at top of page.

How to check for too much iron?
The test that IOD recommends is called transferrin saturation (TS) or in some labs may be called percentage of saturation.  Any score above 44% will need immediate protocol intervention.  We do not recommend either liver biopsy or genetic testing as diagnostic tools.  We have long lists of objections for both procedures on our web site:  www.ironoverload.org.

How common is it?
If I have never heard of it can it be that common?.  Yes, researchers  have determined that there are no safe populations against this disorder and that it is really quite common.  IOD presented a research paper to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta May 2000 which demonstrated that 16% of the U.S. population is at risk for too much iron.  The human race is not alone in this.  The medical literature reports that other species are also involved. Animals such as dogs, horses, cattle, birds, lemurs and chimps have been linked to too much iron and the health problems that result.

How is it prevented?
All that is required for prevention is vigilance and treatment where necessary.  Also all blood relatives must be cautioned against taking over the counter vitamin C or multi vitamins even without iron.  
                           
                        With questions contact:      Iron Overload Diseases Assn.
                                                                 PO Box 15857
                                                                 West Palm Beach, Fl  33416
                                                                  E-Mail       iod@ironoverload.org  
                                                   We hold all correspondence in the strictest confidence.  
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