Dialysis is a medical miracle for the 800,000 Americans with kidney failure, but it comes with severe risks. The $50 billion industry remains largely invisible, yet patients face a 60% mortality rate within five years-comparable to many cancers.
The treatment requires three weekly sessions of three to five hours, effectively a part-time job. However, dialysis doesn't replicate natural kidney function, causing harmful blood chemistry swings.
Infections are the leading cause of death, responsible for 36% of dialysis fatalities. Patients have a 100 times higher risk of bloodstream infections, and sepsis mortality rates can be 300 times higher than the general population. Care quality varies widely between clinics, turning some into "infection factories."
Diabetes and hypertension cause 70% of kidney failure cases, underscoring the need for prevention. With 21% of patients choosing to withdraw from treatment, the system's focus on profit over outcomes is under scrutiny.
Writer and researcher Jessica Wynn, a contributor to The Jordan Harbinger Show, highlights these systemic issues, calling for reform and better patient advocacy.