“Celtic curse” hotspots found in Scotland and Ireland with 1 in 54 at risk
University of Edinburgh researchers mapped hereditary haemochromatosis risk across Britain and Ireland, revealing hotspots in north-west Ireland and the Outer Hebrides where up to about one in 54 people carry high-risk variants associated with iron overload; the condition can remain asymptomatic for decades but lead to liver cancer and arthritis if untreated.
Why it mattersOuter Hebrides haemochromatosis hotspot (≈1-in-54) implies targeted genetic screening and increased local clinical capacity.