TOPIC: Liver Spots or oxidised iron

Hi Guys

I came across research that connects too much iron may seep into the brain coupled with amyloid

plaque leads to onset of Alzheimer. Does anyone know if there has been any research of Hep C people being more susceptible to Alzheimers? thanks

Hi berrinice,

There doesn't seem to be much information on Alzheimer's and HCV although I found a 234k patient (insurance) study from Taiwan which compares the incidence of 'dementia' - without directly referencing Alzheimer's. It tracked 117k HCV patients 50 years and older against a 117k randomly picked but age and sex matched non-HCV cohort over ten years from 1999-2009. All patients were determined not to have dementia at commencement of study. They did find enough evidence of a slightly higher incidence developing in the HCV group to state that it "may increase the risk" of dementia. But I don't find this too surprising given what we already know of the long term effects of HCV, including high iron level and many others, on both our physical and mental health as we age.

However they also found that having antiviral treatment reduced the risk even in those days with interferon then peginterferon and the low SVR rates in those times. This finding agrees with other more recent studies where we consistently see reaching SVR results in statistically significant improvements in patient health, wellbeing and lifespan.

Now that these DAAs with their high cure rate are more accessible, getting treatment as early as possible and reaching SVR is the best way of reducing the risks.

PS it must be over a year since your tx now?

Liver Spots? Do you mean the brown spots that develop on our hands and elsewhere as we age? If so my layman understanding is that these are due to age and sun rather than iron overload.

While iron overload/high ferritin can cause darkening of the skin it is a "bronzing" effect over larger areas. From my reading, SVR reduces HCV caused high ferritin levels but if you have any concerns you could ask your GP to check your levels.

thanks for that information. Red spots and red speckled palms. I will avoid red meat and get iron from green leafy's, which only a % is absorbed.

Its has been a while since tx, I finished the 6 months in February 2016.

Hi Berrinice, Seeing you write about iron levels , red speckled palms , and red spots , makes me wonder if you are thinking about iron-overload disorders, palmar erythema, and spider naevi - in which case I would encourage showing your hands to your GP. Discuss the ideas, and then put your mind to rest one way or another

my gastro has seen them and said they were liver spots as well as spider vains. so it looks like I am stuck with cirrhosis.

Hi Berrinice, Both spider naevi, and palmar erythema, can in some individuals resolve over time. That is, once the cause of liver damage is removed, as in SVR.

So in your case some of those those red bits may still go away. Give it time. Think of it like a nice piece of cheddar cheese, improving with age

Thank you, so I will wait, but I will still reduce my intake of red meat just the same now that I know iron is one of the culprits leading to Alzheimers.

Almost all of us (vegans being an exception) take in more iron each day than we need.

We have no way to get rid of iron so our bodies regulate the how much is absorbed.

The disease haemochromatosis is a genetic condition where patients absorb too much iron and the treatment is bleeding.

Unless you have haemochromatosis you body will absorb no more, and no less, than it needs so really the only thing you can do with your diet is reduce the iron in it to such a point that even absorbing 100% your body can't get enough and you will become iron deficient and anaemic.

So, in short, there is no benefit in trying to restrict iron intake, and significant downsides if you don't get enough.

Dr Freeman
Is this also true with excess Ferritin? I was always told that excess Ferritin was not good for you and inositol or IP6 is one of the only ways to get rid of it, and that takes a lot of time .
Thanks

Hi Sven,

Ferritin is an acute phase protein so it rises with, for example, any infection.

It is also high in many chronic diseases.

By itself, it is difficult to interpret. You need to consider it together with the FBC (CBC) and full iron studies.

For iron overload, the treatment is venesection (bleeding). Simple, quick, effective and DRUG FREE!