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Episode details

World Service,4 mins

Series In Their Element

How too much iron can harm your health

Discovery

Available for over a year

Iron is vital for our survival. It's the key atom in haemoglobin 鈥� a protein found in red blood cells, which transport oxygen around our bodies. But too much iron can lead to tissue damage, increasing the risk of liver cancer. Dr Kathryn Robson, from Oxford University鈥檚 Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, explains how a genetic mutation can lead to haemochromatosis, where people have too much iron 鈥� a health condition that runs in the presenter Dr Andrew Pontzen鈥檚 family 鈥� and discusses how iron levels can be managed. (Image: Red blood cells, Credit: Getty Images.)

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