Albumin Blood Test: Normal Ranges, Causes & What Your Results Mean

What Is Albumin?

Albumin is the most abundant protein in your blood, making up roughly 55–60% of total plasma protein. Produced by the liver, albumin plays several critical roles that keep your body functioning properly. It acts as a transport molecule, carrying hormones, vitamins, enzymes, fatty acids, and medications through the bloodstream to the tissues that need them. It also helps maintain oncotic pressure - the force that keeps fluid inside your blood vessels rather than leaking into surrounding tissues.

Think of albumin as the workhorse of your blood. Without adequate levels, fluid seeps into tissues (causing oedema), nutrients struggle to reach their destinations, and your body loses a vital buffer against pH changes. Because the liver produces albumin, and the kidneys prevent its loss, measuring albumin levels gives clinicians a powerful window into the health of both organs - as well as your overall nutritional status.

Albumin has a half-life of approximately 20 days, which means your blood level reflects your liver's synthetic capacity and your nutritional intake over the preceding few weeks rather than a snapshot of a single day.

Why Is Albumin Tested?

An albumin blood test is one of the most commonly requested laboratory investigations in the UK. It forms part of a liver function test (LFT) panel and is also included in comprehensive metabolic panels. Clinicians request it for a wide range of reasons:

• Liver disease assessment: Because albumin is synthesised exclusively in the liver, low levels can indicate chronic liver damage, cirrhosis, or hepatitis.
• Kidney disease screening: When the kidneys are damaged (particularly in nephrotic syndrome), albumin leaks into the urine, causing blood levels to drop.
• Nutritional status: Albumin is a useful, though imperfect, marker of protein-calorie malnutrition, especially in hospitalised patients and the elderly.
• Chronic inflammation: Albumin is a negative acute-phase reactant, meaning levels fall during inflammation, infection, and critical illness.
• Pre-surgical risk assessment: Low albumin before surgery is one of the strongest predictors of post-operative complications and mortality.
• Monitoring chronic conditions: Serial albumin measurements help track the progression of liver cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic kidney disease.

Normal Albumin Ranges

Albumin is measured in grams per litre (g/L) in the UK. Reference ranges can vary slightly between laboratories, but the following values are widely accepted:

Group	Normal Range
Adults (18+)	35–50 g/L
Children (1–17 years)	38–54 g/L
Neonates (0–1 year)	28–44 g/L
Pregnancy (third trimester)	25–35 g/L (physiological dilution)
Elderly (over 70)	32–46 g/L (slight decline is normal)

A result below 35 g/L in adults is generally considered low (hypoalbuminaemia), while levels above 50 g/L are less common and usually reflect dehydration rather than overproduction.

It is worth noting that albumin levels naturally decrease slightly with age. A reading of 34 g/L in a healthy 80-year-old may be less concerning than the same reading in a 30-year-old.

What Do High Albumin Levels Mean?

Elevated albumin (hyperalbuminaemia) is relatively uncommon and is almost always caused by dehydration rather than genuine overproduction of the protein. When the body loses water - through inadequate fluid intake, prolonged vomiting, diarrhoea, or excessive sweating - the blood becomes more concentrated, pushing albumin readings above the reference range.

Common causes of high albumin

• Dehydration: The most frequent explanation. Once rehydrated, levels normalise.
• High-protein diet: Rarely causes clinically significant elevation, but very high protein intake can nudge levels upwards.
• Prolonged tourniquet use during blood draw: A technical artefact rather than a true elevation.
• Certain medications: Anabolic steroids, growth hormone, and insulin can modestly raise albumin.

Symptoms associated with high albumin

There are no specific symptoms of high albumin itself. If the cause is dehydration, you may experience thirst, dark urine, dizziness, fatigue, and dry mouth. The treatment is straightforward: rehydrate.

If your albumin is elevated and you are well-hydrated, your clinician may repeat the test or investigate further, but isolated high albumin rarely signals a serious condition.

What Do Low Albumin Levels Mean?

Low albumin (hypoalbuminaemia) is far more clinically significant and warrants thorough investigation. Because albumin sits at the intersection of liver function, kidney function, nutrition, and inflammation, a low result can point to several different conditions.

Common causes of low albumin

• Liver disease: Cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and alcohol-related liver damage all impair albumin synthesis. In advanced cirrhosis, albumin can drop below 25 g/L.
• Kidney disease: Nephrotic syndrome causes the kidneys to leak large amounts of albumin into the urine (albuminuria). Diabetic nephropathy is a common underlying cause.
• Malnutrition: Insufficient protein and calorie intake, whether from eating disorders, poverty, malabsorption, or chronic illness, depletes albumin over time.
• Chronic inflammation: Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), and chronic infections suppress albumin production.
• Acute illness and sepsis: During severe infection or critical illness, albumin levels can plummet rapidly due to increased capillary permeability and reduced synthesis.
• Burns: Extensive burns cause massive albumin loss through damaged skin.
• Heart failure: Fluid overload in congestive heart failure dilutes albumin, and poor hepatic perfusion may reduce production.
• Coeliac disease and malabsorption syndromes: Damage to the gut lining impairs absorption of amino acids needed for albumin synthesis.
• Pregnancy: A modest decline in albumin during the third trimester is physiological and not a cause for concern.

Symptoms associated with low albumin

• Swelling (oedema), particularly in the ankles, feet, and around the eyes
• Ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen)
• Fatigue and weakness
• Unexplained weight loss or muscle wasting
• Poor wound healing
• Brittle nails and thinning hair

Hypoalbuminaemia below 30 g/L is associated with significantly increased mortality risk in hospitalised patients. If your level is below 35 g/L, your GP will usually investigate the underlying cause rather than simply supplementing albumin.

How to Improve Your Albumin Levels

Improving albumin depends on addressing the underlying cause. However, the following evidence-based strategies can support healthy albumin levels:

Dietary changes

• Eat adequate protein: Aim for 0.8–1.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Good sources include eggs, poultry, fish, dairy, legumes, and tofu. If you are recovering from illness or surgery, your protein needs may be higher (1.2–1.5 g/kg).
• Don't skip meals: Consistent calorie intake supports ongoing albumin synthesis. Crash dieting and prolonged fasting can suppress production.
• Include leucine-rich foods: Leucine, an essential amino acid found in eggs, chicken, and whey protein, stimulates hepatic protein synthesis.
• Stay hydrated: Adequate fluid intake ensures accurate albumin measurement and supports kidney function.

Lifestyle modifications

• Limit alcohol: Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the most common causes of liver-related hypoalbuminaemia in the UK. The NHS recommends no more than 14 units per week.
• Exercise regularly: Resistance training stimulates muscle protein synthesis and may indirectly support albumin levels by improving overall nutritional status.
• Manage chronic conditions: If you have inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or diabetes, optimising disease control will help maintain albumin levels.
• Address malabsorption: If coeliac disease or another malabsorption syndrome is present, adhering to the appropriate dietary plan (e.g., a strict gluten-free diet for coeliac disease) is essential.

Medical interventions

• In severe hypoalbuminaemia (typically below 20 g/L), intravenous albumin infusion may be required in a hospital setting.
• Treatment of the underlying condition - such as immunosuppressive therapy for nephrotic syndrome or antiviral treatment for hepatitis - is the most effective way to restore albumin levels long-term.

When Should You Get Tested?

You should consider having your albumin levels checked if you experience any of the following:

• Unexplained swelling in the legs, ankles, or abdomen
• Persistent fatigue that does not improve with rest
• Unintentional weight loss or loss of appetite
• Known liver disease or heavy alcohol consumption
• Kidney disease or diabetes (particularly if albuminuria has been detected)
• Chronic digestive symptoms suggesting malabsorption (bloating, diarrhoea, weight loss)
• Before and after major surgery
• As part of a routine health check, especially over the age of 40

For healthy adults with no symptoms, checking albumin annually as part of a full blood panel is reasonable. If you have a chronic condition affecting the liver, kidneys, or gut, more frequent monitoring (every 3–6 months) is advisable.

Which Lola Health Tests Include Albumin?

Albumin is included in several Lola Health blood test panels. Because it is a core component of liver function testing, you will find it in most of our detailed panels:

• Peak Insights (70 Biomarkers) - Our most thorough panel, covering liver, kidney, thyroid, hormones, vitamins, inflammation, and more.
• Vital Check (56 Biomarkers) - A broad health screen including full liver function.
• Core Health (45 Biomarkers) - Essential health markers including albumin and other liver function tests.
• Liver Health Blood Test — A focused panel for assessing liver function.

All Lola Health tests use a venous blood draw performed at one of our nationwide clinics, not a finger prick, ensuring laboratory-grade accuracy. Results are reviewed by a doctor and returned within 4 working days.