Âé¶¹Éç

Use Âé¶¹Éç.com or the new Âé¶¹Éç App to listen to Âé¶¹Éç podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

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 – 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’s Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, explains how a genetic mutation can lead to haemochromatosis, where people have too much iron – a health condition that runs in the presenter Dr Andrew Pontzen’s family – and discusses how iron levels can be managed. (Image: Red blood cells, Credit: Getty Images.)

Programme Website
More episodes