The Value of Serum Albumin for Prediction of In-Hospital Complications in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: Despite significant advancements in medical care, ischemic heart disease, notably acute myocardial infarction, remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide; given the complexity of the atherosclerosis process, the severity of the associated pathologies, it is crucial to explore new prognostic factors that may have an impact on the course of this disease. Previous studies have shown that serum albumin is a powerful prognostic factor in various other conditions. Objective: to study the relationship between low serum albumin and the occurrence of complications in patients with acute myocardial infarction during hospitalization. Methods: the study included 93 patients with acute myocardial infarction with or without ST-segment elevation who attended Tishreen University Hospital in Lattakia, Syria, during the period from June 2022 to June 2023, and was divided into two groups: hypoalbuminemia group 36 patients (albumin <3.5 g/dl) and normal albumin group 57 (albumin ≥ 3.5 g/dl). Results: complications were more prevalent in the hypoalbuminemia group, 61.1%, compared to 26.3% in the normal albumin group, with a statistically significant difference (P-value: 0.001). Specifically, there was a higher incidence of mortality (P-value:0.03), acute heart failure (P-value:0.002) and cardiogenic shock (P-value:0.003) in the hypoalbuminemia group. Conclusions: Low serum albumin levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (STEMI or NSTEMI) have significant predictive value for complications during hospitalization, particularly death, acute heart failure, and cardiogenic shock.