Iron could have invaded the pancreas and caused diabetes. The bronze tinge to his skin is a tip-off that skin cells are glutted with iron. Treatment is straightforward. Lower the body's iron content. Removing b lood, the major storehouse for iron, achieves that goal quickly.
Treatment is lifelong.
If organs have suffered no damage, then a hemochromatosis patient's life span is the same as that of a normal person's. Since hemochromatosis is a genetic disease, close relatives should alert their doctors and be tested for it. This is a common but little-publicized disorder. To spread the word, Dr. Margit Krikker established The Hemochromatosis Foundation. She is happy to answer questions and supply information to patients and their families.