Dietary iron overload persists in rural sub-Saharan Africa.

In a survey of 505 rural Zimbabweans, iron overload was found almost exclusively among men who consumed traditional beer brewed in steel drums. Among drinkers aged over 45 years, 23 of 111 men (21%) had high serum ferritin and a transferrin saturation of over 70%, a combination that indicates a risk of liver disease and other pathological effects from excess body iron. Iron overload, which is reported to be decreasing among urban Africans, may remain a public health issue in rural areas where more than 80% of the people of sub-Saharan Africa live.