1. What conditions could lead to malnutrition?
Various diseases can lead to protein-calorie
malnutrition. Common diseases linked with this form of malnutrition include:
- Cancer
- illness
- Protein loss in the gastrointestinal tract
- Anorexia and other eating disorders
- Liver disease
- Multiple traumas
- Obesity
- Pancreatitis
- Burns over 30% or more of your body
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2. What is the difference between prealbumin, albumin, and microalbumin tests?
Albumin and microalbumin are the same molecule while prealbumin, despite the similar-sounding name, is a completely unrelated molecule. The prealbumin test measures a
protein that reflects your current nutritional status.
Albumin testing is more often used to test for
liver or
kidney disease or to learn if your body is not absorbing enough
amino acids. Albumin can also be used to monitor nutritional status and is a more widely available test than prealbumin. However, prealbumin changes more quickly, making it more useful for detecting changes in short-term nutritional status than albumin. The
microalbumin test measures very small levels of albumin in your urine and may indicate whether you are at risk for developing kidney disease.
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