Since albumin is low in many different diseases and disorders, albumin testing is used in a variety of settings to help diagnose disease, to monitor changes in health status with treatment or with disease progression, and as a screen that may serve as an indicator for other kinds of testing.

A physician orders a blood albumin test (usually along with several other tests) if a person seems to have symptoms of a liver disorder or nephrotic syndrome.

Doctors may also order blood albumin tests when they want to check a person’s nutritional status, for example, when someone has lost a lot of weight.

Low albumin levels can suggest liver disease. Other liver enzyme tests are ordered to determine exactly which type of liver disease.

Low albumin levels can reflect diseases in which the kidneys cannot prevent albumin from leaking from the blood into the urine and being lost. In this case, the amount of albumin (or protein) in the urine also may be measured. 

Low albumin levels can also be seen in inflammation, shock, and malnutrition.

Low albumin levels may also suggest conditions in which your body does not properly absorb and digest protein (like Crohn’s disease or sprue) or in which large volumes of protein are lost from the intestines.

High albumin levels usually reflect dehydration.

PLEASE NOTE: Numerically reported test results are interpreted according to the test's reference range, which may vary by the patient's age, sex, as well as the instrumentation or kit used to perform the test. A specific result within the reference (normal) range – for any test – does not ensure health just as a result outside the reference range may not indicate disease. To learn more about reference ranges, please see the article, Reference Ranges and What They Mean. To learn the reference range for your test, consult your doctor or laboratorian. Lab Tests Online recommends you consult your physician to discuss your test results as a part of a complete medical examination.

Certain drugs increase albumin in your blood, including anabolic steroids, androgens, growth hormones, and insulin.

If you are receiving large amounts of intravenous fluids, the results of this test may be inaccurate.