Cholesterol, triglycerides, bilirubin and albumin

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi, What is the connection between bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerin and albumin? Does high cholesterol and triglycerin lead to high bilirubin values and does high bilirubin levels lead to low albumin levels? Thank you for answers.

Dear Ida: Cholesterol and triglycerides are both forms of fat found in the body. They are both essential for life but too high a level in the blood is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. Bilirubin is a breakdown product from Haemoglobin or red blood cells. High bilirubin levels can be associated with certain diseases including autoimmune diseases causing haemolysis (red blood cell destruction), liver disease and rarer syndromes. Albumin is a form of water soluble protein in the body. Low albumin (hypoalbuminemia) may be caused by liver disease, nephrotic syndrome, malabsorption, malnutrition, genetic variations and malignant disease. All these elements are not linked per se but altered levels may occur secondary to a disease state such as liver disease.