title: Hemochromatosis screening in asymptomatic ambulatory men 30 years of age and older.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform a cost-benefit analysis of screening for hereditary hemochromatosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3,977 consecutive men > or = 30 years of age who presented for routine health checkups at a health maintenance organization medical center were screened for hereditary hemochromatosis by measuring transferrin saturation. Subjects with repeated transferrin saturation > or = 62% and ferritin level > or = 500 ng/mL (> or = 500 micrograms/L) were referred for liver biopsy. Subjects with transferrin saturation < 15% were referred for evaluation. Laboratory testing, screening, and abnormal screening test evaluation procedures were identified by chart review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients had transferrin saturation > or = 62%. One hundred seventy-two had transferrin saturation < 15%. Eight patients with hemochromatosis were identified. The 3 patients most seriously affected had hepatic iron concentrations > 250 mumol/g dry weight. Two of them had hepatic fibrosis. Seven cases of hemochromatosis were found among 1,974 white subjects who were screened. Only 1 case was found among the remaining subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observations support routine screening with transferrin saturation for white men > or = 30 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, California 94611-5693, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Staples
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Rumore
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Morton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins