Hereditary hemochromatosis, iron, hepcidin, and coronary heart disease

Mounting evidence suggests that a state of sustained iron depletion may exert a primary protective action against coronary heart disease. A persistent criticism of the iron hypothesis has been that atherosclerosis may not be a prominent feature of hereditary hemochromatosis. The essence of this criticism is that iron cannot be a significant factor in atherogenesis in those unaffected by inherited iron overload unless an increase in...