ALB and diabetic kidney disease: Diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is associated with a high mortality rate and remains a global health burden.1–4 Although a decrease in renal clearance function and an increase in urinary albumin excretion have both been identified as important indicators for diabetic nephropathy,5 accurate early predictors of mortality for inpatients with diabetic nephropathy remain under investigation.