Iron overload in sub-Saharan Africa involves a genetic component

A new study suggests that the iron overload observed in sub-Saharan Africans may be due to more than elevated iron intake. Genetic analysis indicates that a heritable, but unidentified, trait may account for a substantial portion of the variability in transferrin saturation seen in persons with iron overload. This defect may occur in over 30% of the population and appears to be distinct from the genetic factor controlling hemochromatosis in Caucasian populations.