In his mid-forties, Bill was a successful businessman and happy
with his family life. But then he began to feel tired and
depressed. He had pain in his joints and belly, and his skin
took on a yellowish tinge. After several years of medical visits
and various diagnoses of depression, mid-life crisis, arthritis,
and a stress-induced digestive disorder, a few simple blood
tests finally revealed that he had hemochromatosis. Bill's story
is not unique. Many Americans have this genetic disorder, and
many do not know it. What Is Hemochromatosis? Hemochromatosis
(HH) is a condition that causes the body to absorb and store too
much iron. Some iron is essential for carrying oxygen in the
blood to organs and tissues, but too much is toxic. HH is a
common cause of iron overload. Excess iron accumulates in organs
such as the heart, liver, joints, pancreas, and pituitary gland.
If untreated, this accumulation can cause organ damage, and lead
to heart attack, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis,
depression, and pre