Hemochromatosis (HE-mo-kro-ma-TOE-sis) is a disease in which too much iron builds up in your body. This extra iron is toxic to the body and can damage the organs. If hemochromatosis is not treated, it can lead to illness or even death.

Most people with hemochromatosis inherit the condition from their parents. If you inherit two hemochromatosis genes, one from each parent, you will have the condition. These two abnormal genes cause your body to absorb more iron than usual from the diet.

Hemochromatosis is one of the most common inherited (genetic) diseases in the United States. Approximately 1 million people in the United States have the pair of hemochromatosis genes. But not everyone with the pair of hemochromatosis genes develops signs and symptoms of the disease. Estimates of how many people actually develop signs and symptoms of iron overload vary greatly. The estimates range as high as half of all people with the two hemochromatosis genes.