Haemochromatosis - the Irish curse

[Lar Naparka]

As far as I know, drink and and all that goes with it can exacerbate the problem once it's present but a recessive gene is the hoor that cause it.  People may be carriers if the gene but only those whose parents are both carriers can develop the condition.
It seems there's a higher incidence of haemochromatosis in this country and especially along the western seaboard than anywhere else on Earth. That's put down to the over-reliance on spuds in generations gone by. The Celtic Curse is another name for this problem.
It's hard to believe that so little was known about this problem until recent times. In extreme cases, the sufferer's skin will turn brown- somewhat like a red Indian and it was put down to diabetes. Some here have probably heard of bronze diabetes, which is fair enough as it's classed a form of diabetes. (Can't figure that one out.)
I believe that it was in 1996 that the problem gene was identified.
Anyway, my sincere advice to everyone is that the simple check required to check for this little bastard should be carried out.

[AZOffaly]

As far as I know, drink and and all that goes with it can exacerbate the problem once it's present but a recessive gene is the hoor that cause it.  People may be carriers if the gene but only those whose parents are both carriers can develop the condition.
It seems there's a higher incidence of haemochromatosis in this country and especially along the western seaboard than anywhere else on Earth. That's put down to the over-reliance on spuds in generations gone by. The Celtic Curse is another name for this problem.
It's hard to believe that so little was known about this problem until recent times. In extreme cases, the sufferer's skin will turn brown- somewhat like a red Indian and it was put down to diabetes. Some here have probably heard of bronze diabetes, which is fair enough as it's classed a form of diabetes. (Can't figure that one out.)
I believe that it was in 1996 that the problem gene was identified.
Anyway, my sincere advice to everyone is that the simple check required to check for this little b**tard should be carried out.

A Red Indian   I think I hear the PC Police sirens already

[OnTheLine]

What levels are ye talking about?
I was told my levels of iron were 48 and this was apparently slightly high but ye are talking about levels in the thousands?

Was it iron (ferritin) levels or Haematocrit (which is the number of red blood cells)? Just asking because for men, haematocrit is usually less than 45%/0.45 so 48 would be slightly high alright. If it's that, it is definitely well worth keeping an eye on.

[GJL]

My brother was diagnosed with it about 10 years ago and told the rest of us to get tested as it is likely that we could have it too. I tested positive with the specific test (other brother and sister negative) but my iron levels have remained normal. Get it regularly checked now. Doc tells me I could go the rest of my life without the iron levels rising even though I tested positive. Does not bother me in the slightest.

[manfromdelmonte]

there's no way that it could be caused by over reliance on spuds

sure they're only in ireland 350 years
thats 7 generations

[Lar Naparka]

there's no way that it could be caused by over reliance on spuds

sure they're only in ireland 350 years
thats 7 generations

The weight of academic research would be against you there.
Bear in mind that the condition wasn't discovered, for the want of a better word, until 1996.
Before in mind that the problem was classed as Bronze Diabetes or maybe a load of other maladies as well.

[Never beat the deeler]

there's no way that it could be caused by over reliance on spuds

sure they're only in ireland 350 years
thats 7 generations

Would that not make it more likely to cause issues? i.e that we are heavily reliant on a food that has been introduced very recently?

Is this something that would be flagged when you give blood?

[Main Street]

there's no way that it could be caused by over reliance on spuds

sure they're only in ireland 350 years
thats 7 generations

The weight of academic research would be against you there.
Bear in mind that the condition wasn't discovered, for the want of a better word, until 1996.
Before in mind that the problem was classed as Bronze Diabetes or maybe a load of other maladies as well.

Afaics, there is very little research on the connection between over reliance on spuds in mid 19C  and present day incidence of hemochromatosis.

[Main Street]

there's no way that it could be caused by over reliance on spuds

sure they're only in ireland 350 years
thats 7 generations

Would that not make it more likely to cause issues? i.e that we are heavily reliant on a food that has been introduced very recently?

Is this something that would be flagged when you give blood?

It's not the reliance on spuds per se but other directly related factors from the 19C,  poverty, dire poverty, lack of nutrition, general poor health.
The medic who speculated on the celtic connection is just exploring various factors http://irishamerica.com/2013/08/the-great-hunger-and-the-celitc-gene/ 
Due to dire circumstances, the people could have been over reliant on carrots and a similar genetic susceptibility would still be passed on to the children.
The more the genetic diversity in parents, the more that genetic taint gets weakened down through the generations. Lack of genetic diversity is flagged as a contributing factor with this haemochromatosis, just as lack of genetic diversity in random smaller communities is a factor with different genetic susceptibilities in that group.
Both parents could have this imprint in their dna, have no symptoms after middle age, but their children could be more susceptible to developing the disease due to the genetic coupling of the parents.
That article also flags other issues which could exacerbate the susceptibility in a carrier, who otherwise would not have developed the disease.

[manfromdelmonte]

as I said.
speculation.
its much more likely to be due to a condition carried by the first people who came out of africa and settled along the rich coastlines of Europe
or those who first came to Ireland after the ice age

[manfromdelmonte]

The Iron Age would make way more sense.

no real evidence for movement of people to Ireland.during the iron age