title: Correlates of hypoalbuminemia in community-dwelling older persons.
abstract: To identify easily ascertainable sociodemographic and health characteristics that are associated with hypoalbuminemia in community-dwelling older persons, we used data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This population-based stratified probability sample survey included 4728 persons aged 55-74 y. We defined hypoalbuminemia in two ways: < 35 g/L (1.2% of the sample) or < or = 38 g/L (7.9% of the sample) and used multivariate logistic models to identify independent predictors of hypoalbuminemia. Older age; receiving welfare; a condition interfering with eating; vomiting > or = 3 d/mo; previous surgery for gastrointestinal tumor; self-reported heart failure; recurring cough attacks; feeling tired or wornout; edentulous, fair, or poor condition of teeth; little or no exercise; a low-salt diet; trouble chewing meat; self-reported protein albumin, blood, or sugar in urine; and current cigarette smoking were independently associated with albuminemia (< or = 38 g/L) or progressively lower albumin concentrations < 40 g/L. Persons with 3-5 of these factors (51.5% of the sample) had an odds ratio of 2.73 (95% CI: 1.64, 4.54) and those with > or = 6 factors (9.4% of the sample) had an odds ratio of 6.44 (95% CI: 3.49, 11.86) of albuminemia < or = 38 g/L compared with those with 0-2 risk factors (39.1% of the sample). These findings suggest that several easily assessed sociodemographic, lifestyle, and disease-related factors are associated with hypoalbuminemia and might be valuable items to include on general health surveys to identify older persons who have this marker of poor health status.
authors.affiliation: Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, UCLA School of Medicine 90095-1687, USA. dreuben@med1.medsch.ucla.edu
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Reuben
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damesyn
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keeler
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Greendale
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin