ALB and chronic kidney disease: Mean (standard deviation) baseline serum bicarbonate was 25.5 (4.3) mEq/l in patients with CKD stage G3 and 23.2 (4.6) mEq/l in the CKD stage G4, whereas mean (standard deviation) serum albumin was 3.8 (0.6) g/dl and 3.6 (0.6) g/dl, respectively.