How many people are affected by African iron overload ?
African iron overload is common in rural areas of central and southern Africa; up to 10 percent of the population in these regions may be affected. Men seem to be affected more often than women, possibly due to some combination of differences in dietary iron consumption and gender differences in the processing of iron.  The prevalence of increased iron stores in people of African descent in other parts of the world is unknown; however, these individuals may be at higher risk of developing mildly increased iron stores than are people of European background.