Home « Consequences

Untreated chronic iron overload causes progressive damage to the liver, heart, and endocrine glands, and may eventually lead to premature death. Furthermore, non-specific early symptoms (such as abdominal discomfort and fatigue) may delay diagnosis until severe damage to heart or liver tissues produces clinically apparent symptoms. Therefore at-risk patients (such as those who have received multiple blood transfusions or who have a family history of iron metabolic disorders) should be screened for iron overload.

How iron deposition affects key tissues

The consequences of iron deposition appear to vary in different body tissues. In the heart or liver, hemosiderotic injury can eventually be fatal. In the skin, advanced hemosiderosis produces a characteristic — but benign — bronze pigmentation.