The prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition is high in patients with chronic renal failure on long-term hemodialysis therapy. Among several parameters available for the assessment of nutritional status, albumin has been the most commonly used given its strong association with morbidity and mortality in those patients. However, many factors such as age, comorbidities, hypervolemia and body losses, can affect the serum albumin concentration. Furthermore, the albumin metabolism can be altered in the presence of inflammation, a common condition in this group of patients. Thus, this communication aimed to address the general aspects of albumin and discuss its usefulness for assessing nutritional status in chronic renal failure patients undergoing hemodialysis.
serum albumin; mortality; patients; protein-energy malnutrition