The study by the National Institutes of Health found that thalassemia patients overproduce a protein called GDF15, which suppresses the production of the liver protein hepcidin. This leads to an increase in the uptake of dietary iron in the stomach, the NIH said Monday in a news release.

The NIH said the finding could lead to better understanding of iron metabolism in other diseases and could lead to future therapies for thalassemia.

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disease that causes anemia. Excess iron from blood transfusions and other causes can damage the heart and liver. The report, which appears online in the journal Nature Medicine, said diabetes can develop in severe cases. Patients with thalassemia often require treatment to remove the excess iron to prevent tissue damage.