Why iron overload might protect your heart
The haemochromatosis gene Hfe and Kupffer cells control LDL cholesterol homeostasis and impact on atherosclerosis development.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Even though too much iron sounds bad, people with a genetic condition called haemochromatosis have less heart disease. This study found that a gene called HFE, which controls iron, also helps remove bad cholesterol from the blood by working with liver cells and immune cells in the liver.
Surprising Findings
Hereditary haemochromatosis, a condition defined by iron overload, is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease.
Iron is widely believed to promote oxidative stress and heart disease, so finding that people with excess iron have less heart disease contradicts decades of assumptions.
Practical Takeaways
Do not attempt to increase iron intake to lower cholesterol—this study only shows a genetic link, not a lifestyle solution.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Even though too much iron sounds bad, people with a genetic condition called haemochromatosis have less heart disease. This study found that a gene called HFE, which controls iron, also helps remove bad cholesterol from the blood by working with liver cells and immune cells in the liver.
Surprising Findings
Hereditary haemochromatosis, a condition defined by iron overload, is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease.
Iron is widely believed to promote oxidative stress and heart disease, so finding that people with excess iron have less heart disease contradicts decades of assumptions.
Practical Takeaways
Do not attempt to increase iron intake to lower cholesterol—this study only shows a genetic link, not a lifestyle solution.
Publication
Journal
European heart journal
Year
2020
Authors
E. Demetz, P. Tymoszuk, R. Hilbe, C. Volani, David Haschka, C. Heim, Kristina Auer, D. Lener, L. B. Zeiger, Christa Pfeifhofer-Obermair, Anna Boehm, G. Obermair, Cornelia Ablinger, S. Coassin, C. Lamina, J. Kager, V. Petzer, Malte Asshoff, Andrea Schroll, M. Nairz, S. Dichtl, M. Seifert, Laura von Raffay, C. Fischer, M. Barros-Pinkelnig, Natascha Brigo, Lara Valente de Souza, S. Sopper, J. Hirsch, M. Graber, C. Gollmann-Tepeköylü, J. Holfeld, J. Halper, S. Macheiner, J. Gostner, G. Vogel, R. Pechlaner, P. Moser, M. Imboden, P. Marques-Vidal, N. Probst-Hensch, Heike Meiselbach, K. Strauch, A. Peters, B. Paulweber, J. Willeit, S. Kiechl, F. Kronenberg, I. Theurl, I. Tancevski, G. Weiss
Related Content
Claims (6)
Elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol directly drives atherosclerosis and increases cardiovascular disease risk.
The HFE protein, which helps control iron, also turns down the liver’s ability to remove bad cholesterol from the blood — so when HFE is missing, more cholesterol gets cleared.
People with haemochromatosis — a condition where the body stores too much iron — actually have fewer heart problems than expected, which is surprising and suggests iron might somehow protect the heart.
People with certain inherited changes in the HFE gene tend to have less 'bad' cholesterol in their blood, even though this gene is usually linked to iron overload.
When mice that are genetically prone to clogged arteries lose the Hfe gene, they end up with less bad cholesterol and fewer artery blockages.