Quantitative as well as qualitative changes of serum albumin in patients with malnutrition

: Many clinical and statistical studies have shown that hypoalbuminemia is the strong predictor of mortality in various chronic diseases. Serum albumin may play an important protective role in serum antioxidant activity against reactive free radicals in extracellular fluids. Persistent hypoalbuminemia worsens the serum-scavenging activity in patients with malnutrition, and contributes to the development of cardiovascular complications. An important physiological function of serum albumin is in the maintenance of redox state of the extracellular milieu via the intermolecular sulfhydryl-disulfide exchange reaction.