ALB and diabetes mellitus: After PSM, Yi patients showed: (1) lower comorbidity rates (coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation); (2) distinct laboratory profiles (higher hemoglobin, platelets, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; lower D-dimer, PaO2, and albumin); (3) reduced intensive care unit (ICU) transfers (P < 0.05) and non-invasive ventilation use (P < 0.05); and (4) more frequent pulmonary infections (45.1% vs. 35.8%, P = 0.014) in unmatched analysis.