Kidney Wellness with Dr. Bismah

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan uncovers a critical and often overlooked consequence of anti-CD20 therapies such as Rituximab, Ocrelizumab, and Ofatumumab: long-term immune memory loss.

While these medications are life-saving for conditions like kidney disease, autoimmune disorders, and cancer, they work by eliminating B cells—the immune cells responsible for remembering past infections and vaccines. Emerging r...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan exposes the hidden dangers of the multi-billion-dollar detox and supplement industry—particularly its impact on kidney health. She explains why the term “natural” is a marketing label, not a safety guarantee, and how many popular cleanses place dangerous stress on the kidneys.

Dr. Bismah breaks down the myth of detoxing, clarifying that the body already has highly efficient filtr...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan exposes a hidden danger in renal care: many foods promoted as “superfoods” can accelerate kidney damage in patients with impaired function. She explains why generic health advice can be toxic without considering an individual’s kidney health.

Dr. Bismah discusses the “Green Smoothie Paradox,” where high-oxalate greens like spinach and kale can form calcium-oxalate crystals in the...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan explains why many patients with chronic illness—especially kidney disease—feel fatigued and unwell even when their standard blood tests appear normal.

She reveals that conventional medicine often measures the quantity of immune cells, but the true story lies in their quality and balance. Chronic immune activation combined with innate immune depletion creates a hidden pattern of o...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan challenges conventional thinking about heart and kidney health, revealing that vascular disease is driven by clotting, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction—not just cholesterol.

She explains how arterial plaques are primarily composed of fibrin, platelets, inflammatory debris, and cholesterol trapped from red blood cells, rather than circulating LDL. Dr. Bismah highlights the ...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan explores the exciting frontier of regenerative medicine for kidney disease, including the investigational therapy Ril Perincil, presented at Kidney Week 2025.

Ril Perincil uses a patient’s own kidney cells, expanded in the lab, to create a personalized cell therapy designed to repair damaged kidney tissue. Dr. Bismah explains how this approach has shown meaningful improvements in...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan breaks down groundbreaking new research showing that GLP-1 medications—like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound—may be some of the most powerful tools we have for protecting and even improving kidney function.

Dr. Bismah explains the REMODEL Trial, a first-of-its-kind 1-year study that used kidney biopsies, advanced MRI imaging, and molecular analysis to see exactly how semag...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan breaks down groundbreaking 2025 research revealing how a natural plant compound—Kaempferol—protects the kidneys at a deep molecular level. Found in everyday foods like onions, kale, broccoli, and green tea, Kaempferol is proving far more powerful than previously understood.

Dr. Bismah explains how researchers used advanced network pharmacology to discover that Kaempferol targets ...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan breaks down the exciting new research on Sibiprenly-Mab, a promising monoclonal antibody treatment for IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) presented at Kidney Week 2025.

She explains how this medication targets APRIL, a key survival signal for the immune cells that produce the harmful Galactose-deficient IgA (Gd-IgA1). By blocking APRIL, Sibiprenly-Mab reduces the production of these pathogen...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan exposes the hidden risks behind the multi-billion-dollar detox and cleanse industry. Many “natural” products and juice cleanses can actually harm your kidneys, especially if you already have reduced kidney function.

Dr. Irfan explains why your body’s liver and kidneys are already highly efficient at detoxification, and why adding unregulated supplements or concentrated juices oft...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan dives deep into a growing question among patients and wellness enthusiasts alike — Is CBD safe for your kidneys?

Dr. Irfan explains how the kidneys have their own endocannabinoid system (with CB1 and CB2 receptors) that helps regulate inflammation and blood flow — and why this same system can become a problem when overactivated, especially in people with diabetes, obesity, or met...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan dives into one of the most misunderstood areas of health—kidney disease myths that may be preventing people from taking proactive steps toward healing.

From “normal” lab results to protein fears and dialysis myths, Dr. Bismah breaks down the top five misconceptions surrounding kidney health. Drawing from functional and integrative medicine, she explains why standard labs may miss...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, we’re exploring one of the most talked-about wellness trends in kidney care—hydrogen water.

Hydrogen water is simply regular water infused with extra molecular hydrogen (H₂). Despite its simplicity, this tiny molecule may have powerful biological effects. Molecular hydrogen is the smallest molecule in the universe, small enough to cross cell membranes, enter mitochondria, and even pass through th...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, we’re diving into one of the most groundbreaking and hope-filled areas of kidney care—stem cell therapy.

As we get older, our body’s natural ability to repair itself slows down. One big reason? We lose stem cells—the “master cells” that help heal and regenerate our tissues. By age 60, many of us have lost nearly 90% of them. That loss can play a big role in chronic inflammation, slower recovery, ...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, I’m tackling one of the most common questions I get: Is creatine bad for your kidneys?

Creatine is one of the most studied and effective supplements for energy, strength, and even brain health. But there’s a catch: creatine breaks down into creatinine—the very marker doctors use to measure kidney function. This can make it look like your kidneys are failing, even when they’re perfectly healthy.

I’...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, I’m sharing an important message of hope: dialysis is not always inevitable. Nearly 40% of patients who start dialysis could have potentially delayed—or even avoided—it with earlier, comprehensive intervention.

Dialysis changes everything: 3–4 weekly sessions, hours at a time, and a lower quality of life. But through a holistic, root-cause approach, many patients can preserve kidney function long...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, I’m sharing an exciting breakthrough from Harvard on MUC1 kidney disease, a rare genetic condition that causes toxic proteins to build up inside kidney cells. Researchers have discovered a compound, BRD4780, that can clear these proteins and may one day offer a real treatment option.

But while we wait for clinical trials, there’s so much we can do today. Using the science of epigenetics, we can i...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan, MD, introduces Extracorporeal Blood Oxygenation and Ozonation (EBOO), a promising therapy often described as a “spa treatment” for the blood. She explains how EBOO works—blood is drawn, filtered, infused with a precise ozone-oxygen mix, and returned to the body—filtering nearly half the total blood volume in a single session.

Dr. Irfan discusses how EBOO enhances circulation, re...

In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan, MD, explores the science-backed benefits of hibiscus tea for kidney health. While many herbs are marketed for kidney support, hibiscus stands out with strong research evidence.

Dr. Irfan also shares a real-life case of a stage 3 chronic kidney disease patient who stabilized kidney function and reduced inflammation with hibiscus tea as part of a holistic protocol. She offers prac...