Serum albumin is increasingly recognized as a prognostic biomarker reflecting systemic inflammation, disease severity, and physiological reserve. This review summarizes evidence on the clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia in hospitalized and critically ill patients and across cardiovascular, renal, oncologic, and autoimmune diseases. Reduced albumin levels at admission are consistently associated with increased mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and higher complication rates. In intensive care settings, severe hypoalbuminemia predicts short-term mortality and organ dysfunction. Dynamic changes in albumin during hospitalization and albumin-based indices further enhance risk stratification. Serum albumin remains a simple, cost-effective marker for predicting clinical outcomes and monitoring recovery.

Serum albumin, hypoalbuminemia, prognosis

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