Nutritional Advice El MondoObjectives:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitates identifying laboratory markers to assist the clinicians in early recognition of severe disease. Given the unclear association of hypoalbuminemia and severe COVID-19, this review article has been conducted.
Does hypoalbuminemia (a low albumin level) increase risk of severe COVID-19 infection?
Study design:
This review article included 11 studies with 910 patients. Mean age was 47.6 ± 8.2 years and 47.0% was females.
Severe COVID-19 was defined as respiratory distress (with either rate ≥ 30/min, oxygen saturation ≤ 93% at rest and/or PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 300 mmHg), ICU admission and/or death.
Results and conclusions:
The investigators found the weighted mean serum albumin on admission was 3.50 g/dL [95% CI = 3.26 to 3.74 g/dL] and 4.05 g/dL [95% CI = 3.82 to 4.27 g/dL] in severe and non-severe COVID-19 group, respectively.
This was statistically significant [MD = - 0.56 g/dL, CI -0.69 to -0.42 g/dL, p 0.001, I2 = 91.2%].
Leave-one-out meta-analysis was consistent with point estimate (MD) ranging from -0.61 to -0.51 g/dL.
The investigators found the results were consistent on subgroup analysis of 8 studies that defined severe COVID-19 based on respiratory distress definition [MD -0.58 g/dL, 95% CI = -0.78 to -0.37 g/dL, p 0.001, I2 = 87.9%].
The investigators found in 4 studies that hypoalbuminemia was associated with over 12-fold enhanced risk of severe COVID-19 [OR = 12.6, 95% CI = 7.5 to 21.1, p 0.001, I2 = 0%].
The investigators concluded there is an association of hypoalbuminemia and severe COVID-19. A low albumin level can potentially lead to early recognition of severe disease and assist clinicians in making informed decision for their patients.
Original title:
The association of low serum albumin level with severe COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Aziz M, Fatima R, […], Assaly R.
Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7249975/
Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on coronavirus right here.