A case of haemochromatosis and diabetes: a missed opportunity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15277/bjdvd.2014.038Abstract
BackgroundHaemochromatosis is the most common inherited disorder that causes the body to retain excessive amounts of iron.1 It is ten times more common in males and results in iron accumulation in various organs, in particular the liver and pancreas. The prevalence in various northern European populations is estimated to be as high as 1 in 200.
The relationship between haemochromatosis and diabetes mellitus has been well established and documented in medical literature, hence the term ‘bronze diabetes’. Diabetes affects 30% to 60% of patients with hereditary haemochromatosis.2 Although the underlying pathophysiology of diabetes in patients with haemochromatosis has not been fully elucidated, it is thought to be multifactorial.
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