Hemochromatosis is a condition where iron builds up in the body, which can cause problems in multiple organs. It’s also called bronze diabetes because the iron overload can cause your skin to change color. It can also sometimes lead to blood glucose (blood sugar) issues.

If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may also need to be tested for hemochromatosis. That’s because the two conditions can be closely connected. Here’s what you need to know to understand this connection and what it might mean for you.

What Is Hemochromatosis?

If you’re living with hemochromatosis, your body holds onto too much iron from the food you eat. It has to store that iron somewhere, so it deposits it in your organs, usually in your pancreas, heart, or liver. Over time, these deposits can lead to other problems with those organs. Diabetes is one of the issues that can develop from hemochromatosis.

Hemochromatosis has a number of different causes. Most of the time, it’s caused by a mutation (change) in your genes that you inherited from your parents. Occasionally, your body may hang onto too much iron for other reasons, such as receiving multiple blood transfusions or long-term kidney dialysis.

If hemochromatosis is caused by your genetics, you’ll have it from birth. However, most people don’t see symptoms until they’re older and the iron has had a chance to build up in the body. According to Mayo Clinic, men usually see symptoms after they’re 40 years old, whereas women are more likely to show symptoms after they’ve undergone menopause (around age 60), as they no longer lose iron from menstruation or pregnancy.

How Is Hemochromatosis Connected to Type 2 Diabetes?

If your body is depositing iron in your pancreas, you may develop diabetes. In fact up to half of people with the most serious type of genetic hemochromatosis will be diagnosed with diabetes. So if you have hemochromatosis, you’re at an increased risk over people without iron absorption problems.

Iron deposits can affect certain cells in your pancreas, called beta cells. These cells produce insulin. Damage to these cells can lead to dysfunction, preventing them from producing as much insulin as your body needs.

Sometimes, you might see symptoms of diabetes before you see other symptoms of hemochromatosis. Some people who live with certain types of diabetes may have this kind of iron buildup contributing to their diabetes and not know it. In fact, between 1 percent and 2 percent of adults with diabetes also have hemochromatosis.

If your healthcare provider suspects iron buildup might be behind your diabetes diagnosis, they may test you for hemochromatosis.

What Are the Symptoms of Hemochromatosis?

Many of the symptoms of hemochromatosis can overlap with or look like other conditions. You and your doctor may need to work together to figure out what’s going on with your body. Possible symptoms include:

• Significant fatigue
• Pain in your joints
• Persistent stomachache
• Irregular heartbeat
• Weight loss without an explanation
• Loss of sex drive or ability to have sex
• Skin that looks gray or bronze
• Memory problems
• Changes in your fingernails
• An increase in how thirsty you are and how often you need to urinate

Note that some of these symptoms are tied to iron deposits and some to blood glucose levels. Symptoms such as joint pain and skin changes are tied to your body having too much iron. Needing to drink and urinate more are common signs of diabetes. If you have hemochromatosis but it hasn’t led to the development of diabetes, you may not have those symptoms.

How Is Hemochromatosis Diagnosed?

Hemochromatosis can be hard to diagnose because so many of its symptoms overlap with other conditions or can have other causes. If your doctor suspects it, they’ll likely run a couple of blood tests.

The first one is a test for the level of serum transferrin saturation in your blood. This looks at how much iron is bonded to the protein that carries it in your bloodstream.

A second test is called a serum ferritin concentration test. Your serum ferritin levels can help doctors understand how iron accumulation is affecting your liver.

The results from these can give your doctor a good idea about how much iron your body is holding onto.

Your doctor may order other tests to confirm a diagnosis of hemochromatosis or try to figure out how much organ damage you have. These tests include:

• An MRI to see your organs, especially your liver, and determine if you have liver disease
• A liver biopsy to check for specific types of liver damage and determine their extent
• A genetic test to see if you carry the gene mutations known to cause hereditary hemochromatosis
• Other liver tests to see how well your liver is working

Together, all of these results, along with information your doctor has about your diabetes, can help your doctor diagnose hemochromatosis, figure out exactly how it’s affecting you, and recommend the best possible treatment options for your needs.

How Is Hemochromatosis Treated?

There are a few ways to treat hemochromatosis. The most common one is by taking blood from your body regularly. This is called phlebotomy. Since you have iron in your bloodstream, this effectively removes excess iron from circulating around your body, so it can’t be deposited in your organs.

When you first start treatment, you’ll probably need to have your blood taken once or twice a week. You may have to do this between 50 and 100 times before your iron levels return to normal. Once they’re down, you can usually go longer between these treatments. Some people will only need them rarely, while others may need to go once a month. Most go three to four times each year. You and your doctor will need to test your iron to see how fast it builds up in your body, then make a schedule around those numbers.

Some people can’t have frequent blood draws because of other medical conditions. These people may use a therapy called chelation therapy. For this, you’ll take a pill or get an injection of a substance that binds to iron. Once it has done that, you’ll excrete it normally. This is a much less common treatment, but it’s an option if you need it.

Lifestyle Changes for Hemochromatosis and Diabetes

Changing the way you eat may help you manage both diabetes and hemochromatosis. For hemochromatosis, you may need to avoid certain foods (like red meat) and supplements that are high in iron. This lowers your dietary iron intake so there’s not as much available for your body to hold onto. Your healthcare provider may also ask you to consume less vitamin C. Alcohol is strictly prohibited due to the potential for damage to the liver and pancreas.

You may need to make other dietary changes to follow your diabetes care routine. These changes can include:

• Eating more fiber
• Consuming fewer overall calories
• Avoiding foods that are high in carbohydrates

Adding more exercise may also help you stay in control of your diabetes.

Talk to Your Doctor About Hemochromatosis

If you live with diabetes and you’re concerned or have questions about hemochromatosis, talk to your doctor. They can help you weigh the pros and cons of being tested for hemochromatosis. If you decide to do it, they can order the tests and help you understand your results. Finally, if you do get diagnosed with it, they can help you get the treatment you need so you can avoid further damage to organs like your pancreas and liver.

A doctor can also help you get genetic testing so you can understand your chances of passing hemochromatosis to any children you might have.

Talk With Others Who Understand

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Have you been diagnosed with hemochromatosis? How does it affect your blood sugar? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.