Hemochromatosis Foundation Of Central New York

May Is Hemochromatosis Awareness Month In Central New York!   

An estimated 5,000 Central New Yorkers have a potentially life-threatening, inherited disorder called hemochromatosis...and most of them don't even know it! An additional 125,000 people in the region are carriers of a gene for the disorder, that can be passed along to their children and/or grandchildren. Most of these individuals have never even heard the word 'hemochromatosis'. - But they are not alone. The vast (overwhelming) majority of individuals living in the United States have never heard of it either. So, what is this thing called  'hemochromatosis'? - Hemochromatosis is a common inherited disorder of iron metabolism. Individuals with hemochromatosis absorb too much iron from their diets. This excess iron cannot be excreted, and can reach toxic levels in tissues of major organs including the liver, heart, pancreas, pituitary, thyroid and joints. These overburdened organs cease to function properly and eventually become diseased. Early detection and treatment puts a halt to the dangerous buildup of excess iron  and prevents liver & heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. It has also been noted that early detection can prevent arthritis, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, impotence, infertility & even depression. Many studies now even suggest that excess iron in the brain may be associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, epilepsy, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, and early onset Parkinsons disease. There was a time when hemochromatosis was considered to be a 'rare old man's disease'. But the times are changing. Every year since 1996 (when the HFE gene for hemochromatosis was discovered), varied estimates of prevalence for the disorder have been on the rise. Today it is widely accepted that '1 in 200' people living in the United States have hemochromatosis, and that 1/8 th  of the population are carriers of the gene that causes it. - Those numbers are far too significant to ignore. The Hemochromatosis Foundation Of Central New York is a (ridiculously) under-funded 501(c)(3) non-profit doing the best it can to make CNY residents aware of this (often misdiagnosed) disorder, in an effort to save lives. The Foundation needs your support & would like to take this opportunity to encourage all Central New Yorkers to discuss testing for hemochromatosis with your primary care physician.

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Contact us today at:

hemochromatosis_cny@ yahoo.com