In late April, #TeamIronOverload travelled to Liverpool to exhibit at the 3-day British Society of Rheumatology Conference.

We were especially pleased to be supported by Professor Patrick Kiely, who delivered a detailed talk for attending medics on key aspects of GH-induced joint arthropathy.

This was our third visit to the conference over recent years. There was a noticeable increase in the number of delegates who had heard of GH and knew how to identify the tell-tale joint problems from scans. Many more clinicians were referring people for genetic testing, following a provisional diagnosis made after observing distinctive GH joint arthropathy.

Professor Kiely shared his latest research which shows that GH arthropathy occurs independently of iron overload. So, people with one of the GH genetic mutations (including carriers) were at noticeably higher risk of joint problems, even if iron levels are at moderate levels.

We hope to further support this important research over the next 18 months, with a grant to aid the classification of GH joint issues within a standardised framework. This will enable clinicians to correctly identify the extent of joint disease and aid diagnosis and treatment.