IRON Overload
Iron overload, something which affects
1 in 227 people in Australia each year.
Until now there has been a lack of
public awareness about this toxic killer
that literally rusts organs.
Ex-nurse and president of the national disease society for iron overload, Margaret Rankin is among the many people who had never heard of ‘iron overload’ until she was struck down by the disease. Iron overload can cause serious damage to organs, particularly the liver, and can even result in death if left untreated. Yet treatment is usually simple - giving blood on a regular basis. Margaret, 53, whose condition remained undiagnosed for years, had to have a double hip replacement after her joints grossly degenerated due to iron overload.
Margaret suffered years of tiredness which affected her career until doctors finally pinpointed the cause as ‘haemochromatosis’, a genetic condition that causes iron overload. Margaret explained that despite its relatively common occurrence, lack of awareness was still a major problem. ‘I was a nurse and yet I’d never heard of haemochromatosis or iron overload. I thought if I hadn’t heard of it, then there were probably many others who hadn’t either and people were most likely walking round with iron overload like me and remaining undetected for years.’ Early detection of iron overload is crucial to prevent serious organ damage but has previously been difficult to detect and measure.
A new technology, developed in Australia, to detect and measure iron overload through a simple Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan is now being commercially rolled out in Australia. The scan helps with early diagnosis as well as treatment planning. The breakthrough technology enables a colour-coded report to be generated that displays the exact level of iron throughout the liver – replacing the need for a liver biopsy and providing greater accuracy, overcoming the limitations of other tests. Margaret, who received a Queens Honour recently for her work for the Haemochromatosis community, is among the first patients to benefit from FerriScan.
Where can I find more
information about FerriScan ?
Log onto www.ferriscan.com