Haemochromatosis Genetic Risk Mapped in UK and Ireland

A new study led by the University of Edinburgh, funded by Haemochromatosis UK, has mapped the genetic risk for haemochromatosis across the UK and Ireland. The research, published in Nature Communications, identifies people from the Outer Hebrides and northwest Ireland as having the highest risk of developing this iron-overload disease. The study analyzed genetic data from over 400,000 individuals from the UK BioBank and Viking Genes studies, focusing on the C282Y genetic variant. Findings indicate that one in 54 people in northwest Ireland and one in 62 Outer Hebrideans carry the variant. The researchers, including Professor Jim Flett Wilson, advocate for community-wide genetic screening in these high-risk areas to enable early diagnosis and treatment, which can prevent severe health complications like liver cancer and arthritis. Labour MP Torcuil Crichton, who has haemochromatosis, supports these calls and is urging the UK National Screening Committee to approve a pilot screening program.