Serum or plasma mass concentration of albumin

What Albumin Does in Your Body

Albumin plays a key role in keeping fluids where they belong—inside your blood vessels—rather than leaking into tissues. It also helps transport hormones, medications, and other substances in your blood. Low levels may suggest malnutrition, liver disease, or kidney problems, while high levels are less commonly significant unless related to conditions like dehydration or certain medications.

Why Your Doctor Might Order This Test

Doctors often check albumin levels to assess your nutritional health, especially if you have chronic kidney disease, liver disease, or recent weight loss. It may also be used to monitor fluid balance or evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for conditions like burns or severe infections.

Common Reasons for Testing

Common reasons include evaluating protein malnutrition, diagnosing or monitoring kidney or liver disease, checking for fluid imbalances, or assessing the severity of certain medical conditions like sepsis or burns.

How the Test Works

This test involves drawing blood from a vein in your arm. The blood is then sent to a lab where albumin is measured using a specialized method that detects its concentration in the sample.