Type 2 diabetes risk falls with higher serum albumin levels
Adults with higher levels of serum albumin are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than adults with lower levels, according to findings published in Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews.
“Our study suggests that individuals with low serum albumin level may have increased risk of type 2 diabetes,” Pei Qin, PhD, of the School of Public Health at the Shenzhen University Health Science Center in Guangdong, China, and colleagues wrote. “Serum albumin level may be a clinical indicator for early identification of type 2 diabetes, and interventions could be implemented to reduce incident type 2 diabetes.”
Qin and colleagues assessed levels of serum albumin at baseline and across 3.03 years of median follow-up among 30,442 adults who did not have diabetes at baseline (median age, 41 years; 42.1% women). The researchers used records from annual checkups to assess serum albumin and identify type 2 diabetes diagnoses.
There were 1,634 cases of type 2 diabetes diagnosed among the cohort. Participants with more than 47 g/L of serum albumin at baseline had 26% lower type 2 diabetes risk compared with those with 43 g/L or less in fully adjusted models (HR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.62-0.88). Each 1 standard deviation increase in baseline serum albumin decreased type 2 diabetes risk by 9% (HR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.86-0.97). In addition, for each 1 standard deviation increase in serum albumin for participants with less than 53 g/L there was a 13% fall in type 2 diabetes risk (HR = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99).
“Type 2 diabetes risk was significantly decreased with the highest quartile of baseline serum albumin level and was manifested as a linear dose-response relationship between serum albumin level and type 2 diabetes risk,” the researchers wrote.
Participants who experienced an increase of 3 g/L in serum albumin between baseline and the end of follow-up had 19% lower type 2 diabetes risk vs. those with stable serum albumin or a change of between –0.2 g/L and less than 1 g/L (HR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68-0.97). Participants who experienced a reduction of more than 2 g/L in serum albumin between baseline and the end of follow-up were at 44% greater risk for type 2 diabetes than those with stable levels (HR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.24-1.68). The researchers wrote that changes in serum albumin and the risk for type 2 diabetes had “a nonlinear dose association.”
“We first observed a decrease in serum albumin level associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, but as compared with stable serum albumin level, increased serum albumin level was associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes,” the researchers wrote. “We first confirmed the nonlinear dose-response association between change in serum albumin level and type 2 diabetes risk. Therefore, serum albumin level may play an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes.” – by Phil Neuffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.