BLOOD TEST · SMART CARE POLYCLINIC, DEIRA
Albumin explained
The main protein the liver makes. It appears on both the liver and kidney panels, for different reasons.
What the Albumin test measures
The most abundant protein in blood, made entirely by the liver. It holds fluid inside blood vessels and carries calcium, hormones and many medicines around the body. A low albumin has many causes besides the liver — poor nutrition, inflammation and kidney loss among them.1
Reported as part of Liver Function Test and Kidney Function & Electrolytes.
What the result tells you
On a liver panel: function, not irritation
Enzymes say liver cells are inflamed. Albumin says whether the liver is still manufacturing normally.
Why low means long-standing
Albumin survives weeks in the bloodstream, so a low level implies a problem that has been running for some time rather than one that started last week.
On a kidney panel: calcium and protein loss
About half the blood's calcium travels on albumin, so calcium is corrected against it. Albumin also falls when damaged kidneys leak protein.
If it's high
Almost always dehydration — less water concentrates what is there — rather than too much protein.
How to prepare
- Fasting
- Not needed for albumin itself
- Best time
- Any time, usually with the rest of the panel
- Worth knowing
- Be normally hydrated. Dehydration raises it and drinking a large volume just before lowers it.
What can move the result
A result outside the usual range does not on its own mean something is wrong. These are the everyday explanations a doctor considers first.
Frequently asked questions
The most abundant protein in blood, made entirely by the liver. It holds fluid inside blood vessels and carries calcium, hormones and many medicines around the body. A low albumin has many causes besides the liver — poor nutrition, inflammation and kidney loss among them. On a liver panel: function, not irritation: Enzymes say liver cells are inflamed. Albumin says whether the liver is still manufacturing normally.
Fasting: Not needed for albumin itself. Best time: Any time, usually with the rest of the panel. Be normally hydrated. Dehydration raises it and drinking a large volume just before lowers it.
Commonly: long-standing liver disease, which reduces production; protein lost through damaged kidneys; poor nutrition or difficulty absorbing food; any significant illness or inflammation; dehydration, which raises it. A single result is not a diagnosis. Values are read against the laboratory's own reference range and alongside your history, your symptoms and the rest of the panel — which is why every package includes a doctor to go through them with you.
At Smart Care Polyclinic, 29 Doha Centre, Al Maktoum Rd, Deira, Dubai. Walk in during opening hours or call +971 (0)4 379 3562.
Sources
Written from current guidance and reviewed 31 August 2026.
Sources cited above
- Kwo PY, Cohen SM, Lim JK. ACG Clinical Guideline: Evaluation of Abnormal Liver Chemistries. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2017;112(1):18-35. PMID 27995906. doi:10.1038/ajg.2016.517The American College of Gastroenterology guideline on what a raised liver enzyme actually means and how an abnormal result should be worked up.
Sources are listed for the specific statements they support. They are published research and guidance, not a substitute for a consultation — what applies to you is decided by a doctor who has assessed you.
- Albumin blood testMedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine
- Chronic kidney disease evaluationKidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)
- Evaluation of abnormal liver chemistriesAmerican Association for the Study of Liver Diseases