ALB and portal hypertension: Liver function is usually evaluated through biochemical markers (albumin, bilirubin, prothrombin time) and signs and symptoms of liver dysfunction (ascites, encephalopathy, portal hypertension, impaired renal function, hyponatremia), or through the inclusion of multiparametric liver function scores such as the Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score [3], Child-Pugh score (CPS) [4] or albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score [5].