What is hypoalbuminemia?
Hypoalbuminemia is a condition in which the body cannot produce enough albumin. Albumin is a protein responsible for storing fluid in blood vessels.
Hypoalbuminemia is ultimately a symptom of another condition. The way to improve albumin levels is to treat the underlying cause, or disease.
Hypoalbuminemia occurs when the body cannot produce enough albumin or you lose large amounts of this protein through urine or feces.
Albumin is produced by the liver. Through albumin, fluid does not spill from blood vessels into tissues, that is, it is necessary to prevent fluid leakage. In addition, the purpose of albumin is to transport vitamins, hormones and enzymes to all areas of the body.
This diagnosis is common in hospitalized patients (heart failure, severe burns, kidney disease, malnutrition). Hypoalbuminemia mainly affects people over 70 years old.
The following symptoms are characteristic:
- Fatigue;
- Weak muscle tone;
- Jaundice;
- Swelling in the lower limbs;
- Frequent urination;
- Dark colored urine;
- Loss of appetite;
- Difficulty breathing.
The most common causes are:
- Liver disease;
- Heart failure;
- Nutritional deficiency or vitamin deficiency;
- Inflammatory bowel disease;
- Kidney disease;
- Infections.
Other causes of hypoalbuminemia include:
- Stress;
- Thyroid gland disease;
- Diabetes;
- Nephrotic syndrome;
- Lupus;
- Cirrhosis.
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22529-hypoalbuminemia
