The Science of Haemochromatosis

Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill · Dec 4, 2025 · 17m

This week, Professor Luke dives into a condition that affects Ireland more than almost anywhere else on Earth: haemochromatosis, the iron-overload disorder sometimes dubbed “the Celtic disease”. And we owe this one to two listeners, Kayden and Kari, who emailed Luke asking him to shine a light on it.

Here’s the remarkable thing: 1 in 83 Irish people have haemochromatosis. Globally, it’s closer to 1 in 10,000. Why are we so unusually affected? Luke explores the Founder Effect, seen in remote and island populations, where one ancient genetic mutation spreads widely over generations. Some…