NLIS 5
May 25, 2000
(Health and Community Services)

Hemochromatosis Awareness Week

Roger Grimes, Minister of Health and Community Services, today acknowledged May 25-31 as Hemochromatosis Awareness Week.

Hereditary Hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic disorders. It is a crippling disorder which results in an iron overload in the body. If left untreated, iron accumulates over a number of years and collects in vital organs such as the heart, liver, and pancreas causing damage and, in some cases, destruction of these organs. If diagnosed early enough, the iron build-up can be stopped in time to prevent irreversible damage to these vital organs.

"Hemochromatosis is definitely a disorder where too much of something, in this case iron, can be harmful to your health," said Minister Grimes. "With one in 300 Canadians at risk of this disorder, it is important for people to know that although it cannot be cured, the complications of Hemochromatosis such as liver disease, abdominal pain, and arthritis can be preventable by early diagnosis and treatment."

Diagnosis can be done through a series of blood tests known as an Iron Profile. Additional diagnostic procedures may include genetic testing and a liver biopsy.

In 1982, the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society was established. This non-profit organization works to increase awareness about Hemochromatosis and to provide information and support to families, healthcare providers and the public. The overall target of the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society is the identification of the one in 300 Canadians who are at risk of developing complications of this condition and the estimated one in nine Canadians who, as siblings and children of these individuals, are carriers of one recessive gene.

Media contact: Carl Cooper, Director of Communications, (709) 729-1377.

2000 05 25                                         4:15 p.m.