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  1. #1
    lawsue
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    Default Genetic Disorders

    I have just had, because of a high iron/ferratin count, genetic testing for Hemachromatosis and although, thankfully I am OK I do carry a mutated gene, making me a carrier of the disorder.
    I had little knowledge of this thing before all this came about but I am astounded at the numbers of people from a Celtic background who are affected. Please, if you are of Celtic ancestry, have your ferratin levels checked. The disorder itself can lead to some nasty consequences if not controlled, but it is easily treated.
    It seems strange that each part of the world has its own gene mutations leading to such things as this in Northern Europe, sickle cell anemia in Africa, Thalassemia in the Mediterranean races and so it goes on. I thought of some poor sod out there whose background is made up of all these races and what his genetic makeup would be. His must be a minefield for the genetic scientist.

    Sue

  2. #2
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    As i understand it most of these mutations arise as by natural selection as protection against some local problem. Sickle cell diseaese and Thalassemia both confer a certain amount of protection against malaria, and presumably at one time the chances in certain parts of the world of death by the diseaes were less than death by malaria. It is suggested that your diseaes developed in northern europe when hunter-gatherers stopped living purely on meat (high in iron) and began living on agricultural crops (low in iron). and those with the relevent mutation flourished relatively to others who did not have it and suffered from low iron levels (anaemia ).

  3. #3
    lawsue
    Guest

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    Wow, thanks for the explaination. You made it a lot easier to understand. But it does make having any of these disorders a bit scary.
    Thanks

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