The association between serum albumin and HDL and total cholesterol.

Relatively low serum albumin is a predictor of increased mortality and coronary heart disease incidence. To shed light on the likelihood of confounding this association by high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or other risk factors, data from the National Center for Health Statistics were examined. Serum albumin concentration was significantly correlated with HDL cholesterol concentration only in white men aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 years. Serum albumin was positively correlated with serum total cholesterol. Several other cardiovascular risk factors were correlated with serum albumin in whites and blacks. Further studies are needed.