The Relationship Between Hyperalbuminemia and Unscheduled Medical Visits: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Retrospective cohort study comparing matched patient groups.
PubMed 39192915 · doi:10.7759/cureus.65585
What was done
This retrospective cohort study evaluated electronic medical records of outpatients aged >15 years at Unnan City Hospital, Japan, from September 2021 to August 2023. A total of 716 participants were analyzed, comparing 321 patients with hyperalbuminemia (serum albumin ≥ 5.0 g/dL) against monthly matched controls after excluding patients with acute conditions affecting albumin levels. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the association between hyperalbuminemia, clinical covariates, and unscheduled outpatient visits.
What was found
Hyperalbuminemia was significantly associated with higher odds of unscheduled medical visits (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.56–3.53, p < 0.001). Patients with hyperalbuminemia were younger (mean age 59.13 vs. 74.36 years) and had higher BMI, higher pulse rate, and higher prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and stroke compared to controls. Age, BMI, pulse rate, and stroke were also independently associated with unscheduled visits.
Why it matters
While hypoalbuminemia is a recognized prognostic indicator, elevated albumin has rarely been examined as a risk marker. These findings suggest hyperalbuminemia may indicate autonomic dysregulation or underlying morbidity linked to acute healthcare utilization in outpatient populations.
Limits
The study was retrospective and conducted at a single rural Japanese hospital, limiting generalizability. Key potential confounders such as acute dehydration, hemoconcentration, and specific clinical reasons for the unscheduled visits were not detailed in the abstract.
Cited by
- contradicts Elevated serum albumin levels (hyperalbuminemia) are almost exclusively caused by acute dehydration and hemoconcentration.