Serum albumin, a protein measured by a common lab test, has a large inverse relation with mortality.

Why?

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In very old people, albumin was a more important risk marker than traditional risk factors such as HDL, LDL, and HbA1c.
https://t.co/1wolLynI1O

"serum albumin concentration is inversely related to mortality risk in a graded manner over its entire range"

in both healthy people and those with acute or chronic

But, low albumin is NOT a consequence of normal aging.

So, what's going

While there are suggestions that low albumin is a sign of undetected illness...

albumin is also associated with loss of muscle