What is hemochromatosis test?

Hemochromatosis test, also called HFE test, analyzes the patient's blood sample to a hereditary gene that causes hemochromatosis, a condition in which the body absorbs too much iron. Once iron accumulates in the organs of the body, such as liver or heart, problems may occur. In addition, the accumulation of iron in joints and muscles can bring early arthritis. The hemochromatosis test is easy to perform, requiring only a small blood sample that can be drawn from any vein. This mutation can lead to hemochromatosis. Of course, not all cases are diagnosed, so this number can be higher. The first symptoms of hemochromatosis are easily omitted because they can be as simple as joint pain, weight loss or simply lack of energy.

A physician or patint may decide to have a hemochromatosis test if one of the following situations occurs. First it would be possible to know thatE in the family runs hemochromatosis. If a family member is diagnosed with hemochromatosis, blood relatives may be selected to have a test. Secondly, if both saturated ferritin tests and transferrin detect high iron levels, the physician may choose a hemochromatosis test to eliminate the mutation of the HFE gene. Thirdly, hemochromatosis test can be used as a preliminary test for a healthy person, just to avoid possible complications such as future liver disease. The third case is rare.

If hemochromatosis is left untreated, this can lead to some debilitating symptoms. These include liver cirrhosis, diabetes and heart failure. Hemochromatosis detection generally occurs between age 40 and 60 years, although women may not occur after menopause, as iron levels so drastically during menstrual cycles.

In some cases, the lives biopsy is ordered to check the high level of iron and any scarring that may have occurred. These are warning signals PRO hemochromatosis, though not definitive. The complex part of hemochromatosis is that so many other common conditions can cause similar symptoms.

There are two tests that analyze blood to high levels of iron: saturation of serum and serum ferritin. The serum saturation test analyzes proteins that transmit iron all over the body to find out exactly how much iron is attached to them. Saturation levels that are greater than 45%are considered too high. The second test, serum ferritin, analyzes the amount of iron stored in the liver. If these results are too high, the physician may continue and perform a genetic test to see if there is a HFE gene that has led to hemochromatosis.