European Haemochromatosis Awareness Week 2014

6th and 7th June | Vila Nova de Famalicão

The first week of June is dedicated to raising awareness to haemochromatosis under the motto "Too much iron doesn't make you stronger". On the 6th and 7th June, the Portuguese Association of Haemochromatosis, in collaboration with IBMC.INEB, is organizing an awareness program focused on sports and cultural activities set in Parque da Devesa at Vila Nova de Famalicão.

Just like in previous editions, the high point of Haemochromatosis Awareness Week is a walk, which this year is named after the late Portuguese athlete António Leitão who carried the disease but still managed to win an olympic medal. 

Haemochromatosis is a genetic disease mostly defined as iron overload and it affects an estimate of between 5 and 10 persons out of 1000 in Europe. This disease is characterized by an accelerated rate of iron absorption and progressive iron deposition in various tissues that typically begins to be expressed in the third to fifth decades of life. The most common presentation is hepatic cirrhosis in combination with hypopituitarism, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, arthritis, or hyperpigmentation. Because of the severe sequelae of this disease if left untreated, and given that treatment is relatively simple (regularly scheduled phlebotomies), early diagnosis before any symptoms or signs appear is very important.

Check the program below and if you have a chance please join us in raising awareness of this disorder.