The global prevalence of inherited metabolic diseases is 1 per 5,000 births, while the figure is 1 per 1000 births in Iran, said Shahla Farshidi, scientific secretary of the 5th National Seminar on Genetic Counseling. The high rate of consanguineous marriages is the main reason for the high metabolic diseases in the country, IRNA reported. “So far, more than 500 different metabolic diseases have been identified globally and unfortunately most of them are prevalent in the country,” she added. Inherited metabolic disorders are genetic conditions that result in metabolism problems. Most people with such disorders have a defective gene that results in an enzyme deficiency. The seminar which has been organized by Iran University of Medical Sciences and University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences will be held on August 11-12 at Razi Conference Hall, Tehran.
