Over two million people have to undergo dialysis treatment regularly. In Luxembourg, there are between 400 and 500 dialysis patients. High blood pressure, diabetes, or excess weight can all be potential causes of this disease.
Jean-Jacques Hoffmann is one of these patients. He is connected to a dialysis machine three times a week. Over the course of three and a half hours, the machine removes excess water, solutes, and toxins from his blood. For this reason, the pensioner has been a regular visitor at the Centre Hospitalier du Nord (CHdN) in Ettelbruck since 2017.
Hoffmann is optimistic about his future. He is one of 85 patients who come to the hospital every week to receive dialysis treatment. Compared to 2020, this is an increase of 15 people. The average age of the patients is 69 years.
Two thirds of all patients have diabetes. In addition to the dialysis, they have to follow a strict diet.
For young patients, a kidney transplant is the preferred solution. Every year, around 20 people receive such a transplant in Luxembourg.
