People are not supposed to have heart attacks in their late 20s. It’s the kind of condition that happens more often when people are in the second half of their lives, not the first. That said, in odd heart or health conditions, rare situations can occur, and they typically manifest when the person grows sick and ends up in the hospital with an acute condition. That’s the case with juvenile hemochromatosis.
As the name implies, juvenile hemochromatosis occurs at a younger age and is associated with the circulatory blood system in the body. It can trigger a cardiac arrest, or heart attack, in patients, which in turn triggers both heart disease and liver disease problems.
How Frequently Does Hemochromatosis Occur?
The condition is extremely rare. Only 200 documented cases have been recorded, and hemochromatosis hides as a recessive genetic trait, so it can effectively “jump” generations without being identified. In other words, parents can be entirely healthy without any concerns their whole lives, but they pass the gene to their children and one of those descendants becomes sick as the gene kicks into active mode.
For those patients who do suffer from the condition, not only have some had heart attacks, they’ve also suffered strokes in the same instances as well. The most frequent treatment for the condition involves a combination of iron chelation along with heart pharmaceuticals, but that regimen can’t reverse the damage caused after a prolonged stroke or a weakened heart from a particularly strong cardiac arrest.
Why is Hemochromatosis Such an Impact on the Heart?
The condition creates a massive presence of iron in the blood system, which in turn becomes toxic for the body. It directly impacts the heart and liver, and it also can cause damage to other internal organs like the pituitary gland, the pancreas and body joints. The condition can also trigger cirrhosis of the liver (poisoning), arthritis and even diabetes.
Because hemochromatosis is carried through the blood, it’s also possible for the condition to be identified via blood testing. A specific screening focuses on iron presence in the blood, and it can be confirmed further if the patient is already experiencing early symptoms.
Doctors like Ian Weisberg study heart conditions regularly as well as treat them. Such practices combine decades of experience with the latest research on heart conditions to help patients with real cases and real symptoms. While some conditions don’t have immediate cures, they can be prevented or controlled, and what is possible today is light years ahead of what heart healthcare was provided just 10 years ago.
