Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Laboratory values (e.g., albumin, prealbumin) are poor standalone indicators of nutritional status due to their sensitivity to inflammation and other non-nutritional factors, and should be interpreted within the clinical context.
Do not use albumin or prealbumin levels alone to diagnose malnutrition, especially in acutely ill or inflamed patients. These markers are influenced by disease state and inflammation. Use them as part of a broader assessment including clinical history, physical exam, and functional measures.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Laboratory values are mostly delayed and costly, and largely dependent on the analytic method and the analyzing laboratory. Additionally, numerous non-nutrition-related factors may influence the laboratory parameters (e.g., inflammatory markers such as CRP), leading to distorted values. Thus, laboratory values must always be interpreted within the clinical context.
Why this rating
Supported by Table 5 which details the limitations and half-lives of various proteins.
Source
Nutritional Risk Screening and Assessment
Emilie Reber et al. · Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2019
DOI 10.3390/jcm8071065
narrative_reviewCited 476×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Malnutrition is a preventable and reversible condition that worsens clinical outcomes, increases morbidity and mortality, and increases healthcare costs if left undetected.Strong
- Systematic nutritional risk screening upon hospital admission, followed by detailed assessment and tailored nutritional support, reduces mortality, length of stay, and complications in malnourished or at-risk patients.Good
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