As far as most of society is concerned, Ernest Hemingway committed suicide in 1961. However, a little-known condition he had was more likely to blame for his death. Hemingway was diagnosed with hemochromatosis, a genetic disease associated with depression, diabetes, liver problems, and high blood pressure, all of which he suffered from, six months before he died. Hemochromatosis is now known as one of the most common hereditary diseases that lead to death in the United States, but not much was known about it then. At the time of Hemingway’s poor health, doctors did not know that it was a genetic disease. It causes iron to accumulate at toxic levels, which simultaneously causes organ pain, heart disease, and serious depression. Nowadays, blood tests can easily determine whether or not someone has hemochromatosis, due to the increased levels of iron. Suicide is a common result of untreated hemochromatosis, one that plagued Hemingway’s life. The general public did not know about his suffering with the disease until his medical records were discovered in 1991.
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