Which of the following is NOT a clinical feature of acute disease-associated malnutrition caused by an acute inflammatory response?

• A. Hyperglycemia
• B. Edema
• C. Anasarca
• D. Hypoalbuminemia

Answer: (A)

Acute disease-associated malnutrition driven by an acute inflammatory response changes how the body handles proteins and fluids. The inflammatory state causes the liver to shift toward producing acute-phase proteins and away from certain plasma proteins like albumin, leading to hypoalbuminemia. With less albumin to keep fluid in the bloodstream (lower oncotic pressure), fluid leaks into the interstitial space, producing edema, which in severe cases becomes generalized—anasarca. These edema and low albumin are classic signs of this malnutrition pattern.

Hyperglycemia isn’t a defining feature of this specific malnutrition state. While blood sugar can rise during acute illness due to the body’s stress response, that hyperglycemia reflects the stress metabolic response rather than the malnutrition changes driven by inflammation. So the feature that does not fit as part of acute disease-associated malnutrition caused by an acute inflammatory response is hyperglycemia.