Albumin is a biomarker for assessing nutritional status in CKD patients. Which patients are likely to exhibit low serum albumin?

Low serum albumin levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can indicate poor nutritional status and overall health degradation. In this case, patients with hair loss and muscle wasting are particularly likely to exhibit low serum albumin. This situation often arises due to protein malnutrition and inadequate caloric intake, which might be prevalent in CKD patients due to factors such as dietary restrictions, gastrointestinal issues, or decreased appetite. Albumin, being a protein, reflects the body’s protein stores; therefore, muscle wasting would lead to decreased protein levels, contributing to lower serum albumin.

Other symptoms, such as hair loss, can also be related to insufficient nutrition and significant health challenges. Overall, the presence of muscle wasting along with hair loss starkly suggests that the patient's nutritional status is compromised, resulting in low albumin levels, highlighting the importance of monitoring this biomarker to assess and address the nutritional needs in CKD patients.