Porphyria Gastrointestinal Health Porphyria Porphyria is an inherited metabolic disorder affecting the production of heme.
Porphyria is a metabolic disorder affecting the production of heme.
Heme, a molecule essential for red blood cell-mediated transportation of oxygen throughout the body, is synthesized from precursor molecules known as porphyrins. In porphyria, cells of the body do not effectively convert porphyrins to heme, and porphyrins accumulate. Porphyria occurs most commonly in young women, with onset of the disease between the ages of 20 and 40. Attacks of porphyria often occur intermittently, separated by long asymptomatic periods. The material in this article is provided for informational purposes only.