Also known as: ALB
Name: Albumin
Related tests: Liver panel, Prealbumin, Complete urine test, Microalbumin and microalbumin/creatinine ratio
Why is the test done?
To screen for liver disorders and kidney disease or to assess nutritional status, especially in hospital patients (prealbumin is sometimes used in these situations).
When is it done?
If your doctor thinks you have symptoms of a liver disorder or kidney disease, if you have had a recent, rapid change in weight, or before a planned hospital admission.
What samples are required?
A blood sample taken from a vein in the arm
What is being analysed?
Albumin is the most abundant protein in blood plasma. It keeps fluid inside the blood vessels, nourishes the tissues and carries hormones, vitamins, medicines and ions such as calcium around the body. Albumin is made in the liver and is very sensitive to liver damage. Albumin levels fall when the liver is damaged, in kidney disease (nephrotic syndrome), in malnutrition, with inflammation or in shock. Albumin rises with dehydration.
How is the sample taken for testing?
A venous blood sample taken with a needle from a vein in the arm.
How is it used?
When is it requested?
What does the test result mean?
Is there anything else I should know?
How is it used?
Because albumin is low in many different disorders and diseases, it is tested in various panels to help diagnose disease, to monitor changes in health status due to treatment or disease progression, and as an indicator for further laboratory tests.
When is it requested?
Your doctor requests albumin (usually as part of wider panels of laboratory tests) if a patient has symptoms of liver disease or nephrotic syndrome.
Albumin is requested to assess a person’s nutritional status, for example after significant weight loss.
What does the test result mean?
A low albumin level may suggest liver disease. Other liver enzymes may be requested to identify the type of liver disease correctly.
A low albumin level reflects conditions in which the kidneys cannot prevent albumin being lost from the blood into the urine. In this case the amount of albumin (or protein) in the urine can be measured.
Low blood albumin levels are also seen with inflammation, shock and malnutrition.
Low albumin levels may suggest conditions in which the body does not absorb and digest proteins properly (Crohn’s disease or sprue) or in which a large amount of protein is lost through the bowel.
High albumin levels are usually associated with dehydration.
Is there anything else I should know?
Some medicines increase blood albumin, for example anabolic steroids, androgens, growth hormones and insulin.
If you are receiving intravenous fluids, this test may be inaccurate.
1. Is anyone at high risk of abnormal albumin levels?
2. Is there a home test for albumin?
3. What is the difference between albumin, prealbumin and microalbumin?
1. Is anyone at high risk of abnormal albumin levels?
People with chronic liver and kidney disease are at high risk of developing abnormal albumin levels. People with gastrointestinal malabsorption or prolonged diarrhoea may also develop abnormal albumin levels.
2. Is there a home test for albumin?
Not for blood albumin levels. Test strips for measuring urine albumin are available from pharmacies.
3. What is the difference between albumin, prealbumin and microalbumin?
albumin and microalbumin are the same molecule, while prealbumin, despite the similar name, is a completely different molecule. Prealbumin is a protein that reflects nutritional status, particularly before and after surgery, during a hospital stay or with intravenous nutrition. Albumin levels are generally used to assess liver or kidney disease or malabsorption of amino acids. Albumin can also be used to assess nutritional status, but prealbumin changes before albumin, so it is more widely used for this purpose. Microalbumin measures very small amounts of albumin in the urine and can indicate a risk of developing kidney disease.