Hemochromatosis is an inherited disorder characterized by inappropriately high absorption of dietary iron, which lead to accumulation of iron in parenchymal organs. This hereditary disease is sometimes called Hereditary hemochromatosis or HHC.

Hereditary hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disorder and is thought to be the most common inherited disorder in whites, and perhaps the most common classically inherited disease in America. This disorder is most commonly found in persons of northern European descent, whereas it rarely occurs in Africans or Asians. The occurrence of the disease in Hispanics can be similar to that in whites. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 200 whites in the United States are homozygous for the gene thought to be responsible for the disease, although the frequency has been reported to be as high as 1 in 150 in some populations. Approximately 25% of the men and 50% of the women with hereditary hemochromatosis will develop life-threatening consequences of the disease in their lifetime.