Category: Clinical diagnostics

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition affects an estimated 19 million children under 5 years of age globally. While many diagnostic criteria exist, serum albumin levels have been a long-standing marker for nutritional status, particularly in severe cases. However, its use is nuanced and must be interpreted within a broader clinical context.

According to the Prealbumin in Nutritional Care Consensus Group, prealbumin levels below 5.0 mg per dL indicate a poor prognosis and severe malnutrition. Understanding what are malnourished prealbumin levels is critical for healthcare providers to accurately assess a patient's nutritional status and identify underlying health issues.

According to research, malnutrition is a poor prognostic factor in patients with liver cirrhosis, highlighting the critical need for accurate diagnostic tools. Determining what labs are done for malnutrition involves a comprehensive approach that includes a variety of blood tests to assess protein levels, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and organ function. These laboratory assessments are crucial for confirming a diagnosis and guiding an appropriate treatment plan for nutritional deficiencies.

According to the World Health Organization, protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) affects millions globally, particularly children in developing countries. While clinical signs are often evident, biochemical tests provide objective, cellular-level data to confirm and quantify the severity of malnutrition, detecting issues before physical symptoms become severe.

According to Thermo Fisher Scientific, quantifying protein concentration is an essential part of most laboratory workflows involving protein samples. The method for determining total protein varies based on required sensitivity, sample volume, and compatibility with other substances.

Protein detection and quantification are central to a wide variety of biological processes, from basic research to clinical diagnostics. So, is there a way to measure protein levels? Indeed, there are numerous techniques, each suited for different applications depending on the sample type, desired specificity, and required sensitivity.

Approximately 50% of the total calcium in the blood is protein-bound, meaning a patient's protein levels can impact the measurement. Therefore, a low corrected calcium result signifies a true calcium deficiency in the blood, known as hypocalcemia, rather than a false low reading caused by an underlying protein imbalance.

According to the World Health Organization, wasting affects over 50 million children under the age of five globally. To accurately identify those suffering from this condition, a reliable and simple age-independent indicator of malnutrition is essential, especially in resource-limited settings. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is a practical and widely used tool for this purpose, offering a quick assessment of a person's nutritional status without needing to know their exact age.

According to researchers, self-reported dietary data is often inaccurate, making objective assessment crucial. Biomarkers of nutritional exposure and nutritional status are measurable indicators found in biological samples, providing an objective and reliable assessment of dietary intake and its metabolic effects on the body.

According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, a fructose dehydrogenase-based enzymatic assay proved to be highly specific for detecting fructose in serum with minimal cross-reactivity from other sugars. This highlights the need for precise techniques when you want to measure fructose in various matrices, from biological samples to processed foods.