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Iron overload-hemochromayosis is a medical condition that occurs when too much of the mineral iron builds up inside the body and produces a toxic reaction. An iron overload can cause abnormal build up of iron in the liver, liver cancer, diabetes, arthritis and heart attack.
Excess alcohol intake makes the body increase its level of iron storage, putting strain on vital organs and increasing the risk of death. Researchers examined 877 women in sub-Saharan Africa over a median follow-up time of nine years. The results of the study showed levels of ferritin, a blood marker of the extent of body iron loading, were higher in drinkers than non-drinkers.
Iron loading is when the regulation of iron in the body is compromised by alcohol consumption, leading to more of it being absorbed. It causes heart attacks, liver disease and diabetes. Hgher levels of ferritin and its statistical interaction with alcohol in these subjects predicted all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The prognostic significance of iron loading depends on alcohol consumption.
According to Dr Rudolph Schutte, Course Leader of the BSc (Hons) Medical Science at Anglia Ruskin University, and lead author of the study, iron loading puts strain on the cardiovascular system through oxidisation, which can cause damage to cells, proteins and DNA.
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