Markers / Gene
HFE
2 positions in this gene are readable from a home DNA test.
Iron overload, C282Y
rs1800562 · chr6:26,093,141 · G/A · evidence: established
Hereditary haemochromatosis makes the gut absorb more iron than the body can dispose of, and it accumulates in the liver, heart and pancreas over decades. It is one of the most common inherited conditions in people of northern European descent, and one of the most treatable if it is found early.
| If you carry | What it means |
|---|---|
| No copies | You do not carry C282Y |
| One copy | You carry one copy, and carriers very rarely develop iron overload |
| Two copies | You carry two copies, which is worth a simple blood test |
| Ancestry group | A (the effect version) | |
|---|---|---|
| African | 0.2% | |
| American | 2.2% | |
| East Asian | 0.0% | |
| European | 4.3% | |
| South Asian | 0.2% |
1000 Genomes Project phase 3, via Ensembl, retrieved 2026-09-23. These groupings are coarse and flatten a great deal of internal diversity, particularly within Africa. A variant being common somewhere tells you where a piece of your ancestry probably comes from, and nothing else.
Iron overload, H63D
rs1799945 · chr6:26,091,179 · C/G · evidence: established
The second and much milder HFE variant. On its own it causes very little; paired with C282Y it occasionally produces mild iron loading.
| If you carry | What it means |
|---|---|
| No copies | You do not carry H63D |
| One copy | You carry one copy, which on its own does very little |
| Two copies | You carry two copies, which rarely causes iron problems by itself |
| Ancestry group | G (the effect version) | |
|---|---|---|
| African | 1.1% | |
| American | 11.5% | |
| East Asian | 2.9% | |
| European | 17.2% | |
| South Asian | 7.1% |
1000 Genomes Project phase 3, via Ensembl, retrieved 2026-09-23. These groupings are coarse and flatten a great deal of internal diversity, particularly within Africa. A variant being common somewhere tells you where a piece of your ancestry probably comes from, and nothing else.
Where this gene fits
If you have taken a home DNA test, these positions are already in your file.
Read my file