Albumin in Dehradun

What is a Albumin?

Albumin is the most abundant protein in blood and is manufactured entirely by the liver, which makes it unusually informative. Most liver tests measure damage; albumin measures capability, because a liver can only produce it if enough working tissue remains. It does two jobs. It holds fluid inside blood vessels by exerting osmotic pull, and it acts as the body's general transporter, carrying calcium, hormones, bilirubin and many medicines around the circulation. When albumin falls, fluid escapes into the tissues, which is why a low level shows up as swelling of the ankles, puffiness around the eyes, or fluid in the abdomen. There are four broad reasons it drops: the liver cannot make enough, as in cirrhosis; the kidneys are leaking it into urine, as in nephrotic syndrome; intake or absorption is inadequate, as in malnutrition or coeliac disease; or inflammation is suppressing production, which happens in any serious acute illness. Because albumin has a half-life of around three weeks, it changes slowly and reflects the medium term rather than the last few days.

Why take this test?

An albumin test is advised for unexplained swelling of the ankles, legs, face or abdomen, and it is a standard part of both liver and kidney assessment. In liver disease it is one of the few markers that indicates how well the organ is still functioning rather than merely how inflamed it is, so it carries weight in staging chronic disease. In kidney disease it is measured alongside urine protein, since heavy protein loss through the kidney is a direct cause of a low blood level. It is also used to assess nutritional status in prolonged illness, in the elderly, and before major surgery, where a low albumin is associated with slower recovery. One practical use is calcium correction: about half of blood calcium is bound to albumin, so a calcium result cannot be interpreted properly without knowing the albumin alongside it.

• Swelling of the ankles, legs, face or abdomen
• Assessment of chronic liver disease and how well it still functions
• Kidney disease, alongside urine protein
• Nutritional assessment in prolonged illness or the elderly
• Before major surgery
• Correcting a calcium result, since half of calcium binds to albumin

Normal reference ranges

Ranges are indicative for adults. Your report carries the lab-specific reference range and is reviewed by a LabONE pathologist; always interpret results with your doctor.

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