1 in 5 Irish people carry the 'Iron Overload' Gene

Former Meath All-Ireland winning footballer David Beggy has teamed up with the Irish Haemochromatosis Association as a brand ambassador.

This week is World Haemochromatosis Awareness Week and David, who has the condition, is highlighting the symptoms and says early diagnosis is key.

Despite being Ireland’s most common genetic condition, Haemochromatosis or ‘iron overload’, as it is also known, is not as widely known as some other genetic conditions.

Early diagnosis is vital and if left untreated, can lead to organ damage or even premature death. The Irish Haemochromatosis Association estimates there are at least 20,000 undiagnosed cases of Haemochromatosis in Ireland.

Haemochromatosis is more common in Ireland than anywhere else in the world, as one in five people carry one copy of the gene and one in every 83 Irish people carry two copies of the gene, predisposing them to develop iron overload.

This year, to mark World Haemochromatosis Awareness Week, 1st – 7th June 2022, the IHA aims to raise awareness of the condition and is urging people to ‘Get Checked for Haemochromatosis’ to highlight the symptoms in order to save lives – symptoms that range from chronic tiredness and joint pain, to abdominal pain and sexual dysfunction.

Several City and County Councils throughout Ireland are supporting the campaign to ‘Light Up Red’ several iconic public buildings during World Haemochromatosis Awareness Week.

The Irish Haemochromatosis Association has this year teamed up with the GAA in a charity partnership that aims to help raise awareness of the common condition and ensure that everyone is aware of the symptoms.

GAA All Star and this year’s new IHA Brand Ambassador, David Beggy, says that early diagnosis of the condition is key.

“It’s known as the ‘celtic gene’ because it’s so common in Ireland but I lived with symptoms for a while before it was diagnosed. During the height of my career as a Meath footballer, I suffered from different aches and pains and fatigue but I put it down to football and learned to live with it. I had never heard of haemochromatosis before but it was also a relief when I was finally diagnosed, because I could now get a handle on it. That’s why I’m delighted to be working with the IHA to make sure everyone in Ireland is aware of haemochromatosis and knows what exactly it is and – most importantly - how to recognise the symptoms on time.”

Commenting on the awareness drive for World Haemochromatosis Awareness Week, Dr Maurice Manning, Chair of the Irish Haemochromatosis Association and Haemochromatosis sufferer says: “With Ireland having more cases than anywhere else in the world, we want everyone to understand what Haemochromatosis is and how important early diagnosis is. Now that we are coming out the other side of the pandemic, it is becoming much easier to stop ignoring symptoms and get medical advice if you have any worries or concerns. It’s as easy as talking to your GP and arranging a blood test.

"Although it can be life-threatening, once diagnosed before organ damage has occurred, Haemochromatosis can be successfully treated and patients go on to live their lives to the full, without any impact.”

Professor Suzanne Norris, Consultant in Hepatology and Gastroenterology at St. James’s Hospital says: “Ireland has the highest rates of Haemochromatosis in the world. Ill-health from Haemochromatosis and the development of serious complications such as cirrhosis can be prevented by simple treatment and life expectancy in treated non-cirrhotic patients is normal. Early diagnosis is therefore critical.”

Dr John Ryan, Consultant in Hepatology and Gastroenterology at Beaumont Hospital, comments, “Haemochromatosis is an inherited condition, where the body cannot switch off iron absorption and iron build up leads to life-threatening organ damage. If picked up early enough it is entirely treatable, and individuals may also donate blood through the Irish Blood Transfusion clinics, which is then put to good use.”

The Irish Haemochromatosis Association was established over 22 years ago. Volunteers and Ambassadors such as Mark Cagney, former RTE Presenter and Paul Harrington, musician, songwriter and former Eurovision songwriter winner, who both have Haemochromatosis, have promoted awareness of the disorder over many years.

The public can support the work of the Irish Haemochromatosis Association and its Helpline, by donating via the Text to Donate service, Text ‘IRON’ to 50300 or bymaking a €4 donation on the charity’s website: www.haemochromatosis-ir.com Funds raised will be used to continue the IHA helpline to work throughout the year to help support sufferers and their families.