- Hypoalbuminemia: causes
- Hypoalbuminemia: symptoms
- Hypoalbuminemia: diagnosis
- Hypoalbuminemia: treatment
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Hypoalbuminemia means a decrease in the concentration of the basic proteins contained in the blood - albumin. It can lead to both liver failure and diseases of the kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms of hypoalbuminaemia are usually very non-specific - so you can conclude that the concentration of albumin in the blood is below normal in a given person?
Hypoalbuminemiais a situation where the blood albumin concentration drops below the normal level, i.e. below 3.5 g / dl, and the normal blood albumin level is between 3.5 and 5 g / dL. Albumin is produced in the liver, but small amounts are excreted through the kidneys.
Albumin are the basic proteins of the human body - they constitute up to 60% of all proteins that circulate in our bloodstream. They perform extremely important functions, because they are responsible, inter alia, for maintaining proper oncotic pressure in blood vessels, but also for various hormones, electrolytes and medications taken by people to attach to them and transport them in the blood.
Hypoalbuminemia: causes
As mentioned above, albumin is produced in the liver and therefore the main cause of hypoalbuminemia is dysfunction of this organ. Various diseases can lead to liver failure, resulting in lower albumin production, such as:
- cirrhosis of the liver
- hepatitis
- non-alcoholic fatty liver
- liver cancer
Other pathologies in which hypoalbuminemia may occur include:
- heart failure
- kidney disease (in the case of these diseases, there may be an increased loss of albumin from the body along with the urine - one of the units in which this problem occurs is nephrotic syndrome)
- loss of proteins through the gastrointestinal tract (it can occur, among others, in the course of celiac disease, Crohn's disease or other gastrointestinal inflammations)
- malnutrition (hypoalbuminemia is sometimes seen in patients with anorexia, but also in people who are malnourished and generally devastated due to cancer)
- significant, extensive burns (in their case, albumin can be lost with the fluid oozing from the wounds)
- sepsa
Interestingly, hypoalbuminemia occurs relatively often also in pregnant women.
Hypoalbuminemia: symptoms
Hypoalbuminemia itself is considered a symptom, and not necessarily a disease - that's why it is difficult to talk about ailments resulting from the low level of albumin in the blood.
This condition may certainly be related to the appearance of edema in the patient, which is a consequence of hypoalbuminemia-related difficulties in maintaining proper oncotic blood pressure in the blood vessels.
These swellings are typically located in the area of the hands and feet, but it is also possible to accumulate fluid in body cavities, e.g. in the peritoneal or pleural cavities.
Symptoms that appear in patients with hypoalbuminemia, most often, are symptoms resulting from the causes of lowering the level of albumin in the blood, and they can be:
- feeling very tired
- nausea
- vomiting
- loss of appetite
- liver enlargement
- muscle weakness
- subcutaneous tissue atrophy
- dry skin
- jaundice
Hypoalbuminemia: diagnosis
The diagnosis of hypoalbuminemia can be made after finding a low level of albumin in the patient's blood.
This test, however, is definitely not enough - in patients who develop hypoalbuminemia, it is necessary to conduct various other tests, thanks to which it will be possible to determine the cause of the problem. For this purpose, tests are ordered to assess liver function (e.g. ALT, AST or coagulation parameters), and the assessment of albumin excretion with urine is also valuable.
The subsequent analyzes ordered by patients are selected depending on the suspected cause of hypoalbuminemia - for example in those who are probably responsible for this problem from liver dysfunction, an ultrasound examination of this organ may be indicated.
Hypoalbuminemia: treatment
A thorough diagnostic process in a patient with hypoalbuminemia is essential because the treatment of this condition focuses on its cause.
In patients with impaired liver function, it becomes necessary to limit their intake of substances that negatively affect this organ (e.g. alcohol and hepatotoxic drugs).
In the case of malnourished people, proper nutritional treatment is most important (sometimes parenteral nutrition is necessary).
In the case of kidney diseases, it is necessary to regulate the functions of these organs,and when a patient develops hypoalbuminemia due to inflammatory bowel diseases, it may be necessary to intensify their treatment (e.g. by increasing the dosage of anti-inflammatory agents).
In patients with severe hypoalbuminaemia leading to severe symptoms (e.g. severe edema), it is possible to administer human albumin preparations to them. It should be emphasized, however, that such treatment does not eliminate the problem and that is why the most important are the therapeutic effects aimed at the cause of lowering the level of albumin in the blood.
About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of the medical faculty at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.