Albumin normal range: what your albumin blood test means

Quick answer: the albumin normal range is 3.4 to 5.4 g/dL, or 34 to 54 g/L (MedlinePlus). To convert, multiply g/dL by 10. Albumin is the main protein in blood plasma and is made by the liver, so a low value is read alongside liver, kidney and nutrition markers. An albumin test alone cannot diagnose a condition.

Check albumin at homeAlbumin is on SiPhox Hormone Focus, GLP Optimization and Ultimate 360. $124 a test plus $25 shipping, first test $99 for new members.

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Albumin normal range

Ranges vary slightly between labs, so use the range on your own report.

What albumin does

Albumin is a protein made by the liver. MedlinePlus explains that it keeps fluid from leaking out of blood vessels and carries chemicals, including hormones and medicines, around the body. The rest of the protein in plasma is mostly globulins, which include antibodies. Albumin is part of the comprehensive metabolic panel and the liver function test.

Albumin also matters for hormone tests. Labs that calculate free testosterone with the Vermeulen equation use albumin alongside total testosterone and SHBG, and warn that the result needs caution when albumin is very abnormal. That is likely why SiPhox includes albumin on Hormone Focus, which reports calculated free testosterone.

What low albumin means

MedlinePlus lists these causes of a low albumin:

• Liver disease, including severe cirrhosis, hepatitis and steatotic (fatty) liver disease, since the liver makes albumin
• Kidney disease, where albumin leaks into urine
• Malnutrition, especially too little protein, and digestive diseases that block protein absorption, such as Crohn disease, celiac disease and malabsorption after weight-loss surgery
• Infection, large burns and thyroid disease

Some low results have simple explanations: MedlinePlus notes albumin may be lower if you have not eaten for 24 to 48 hours, during pregnancy, and with some medicines, including birth control pills. A low albumin with swelling of the legs or belly, or with abnormal ALT or eGFR, needs a doctor.

What high albumin means

A high albumin is usually a sign of dehydration, for example after severe diarrhea (MedlinePlus): less water in the blood concentrates everything in it. Steroids, insulin and some hormones can also raise albumin. If yours is high, drink normally and retest before worrying. High hematocrit and BUN in the same draw support the dehydration explanation.

Worked example

A 60-year-old on a GLP-1 medication has lost 15% of her body weight and eats much less than before. Her results: albumin 3.2 g/dL (32 g/L), just under the 3.4 floor, and total protein 6.3 g/dL. Globulin is 6.3 minus 3.2 = 3.1 g/dL, and the A/G ratio is 3.2 / 3.1 = 1.03. Her ALT, AST and eGFR are normal, so the low albumin fits low protein intake better than liver or kidney disease. Her doctor or dietitian can review protein intake, and a retest after 8 to 12 weeks shows whether it is recovering.

Compare a 45-year-old man with albumin 5.6 g/dL, BUN 26 mg/dL and hematocrit 51% after a long run in the heat with little water. All three high values point to dehydration; a retest well hydrated usually settles it.

Which test to use

Getting a reliable albumin result

• Eat normally in the days before. MedlinePlus notes albumin can be lower if you have not eaten for 24 to 48 hours. An overnight fast is fine; a multi-day fast is not.
• Drink normally. Dehydration raises albumin, which can hide a true low value.
• Note pregnancy and medicines. Albumin is lower in pregnancy and with birth control pills, and higher with steroids, insulin and some hormones (MedlinePlus).
• Compare with total protein. The A/G ratio needs both numbers from the same draw, which only SiPhox GLP Optimization and Ultimate 360 provide.

At-home tests that include albumin

Albumin is on three SiPhox panels: Hormone Focus, Ultimate 360 and GLP Optimization. In SiPhox's panel data it is not on Longevity Essentials, Heart & Metabolic or Thyroid Focus. One inconsistency to know about: SiPhox's Longevity Essentials product page also shows albumin on its men's marker list, while its panel comparison does not, so check the marker list at checkout if albumin is the reason you are buying.

GLP Optimization and Ultimate 360 also report total protein, so you can work out globulin and the A/G ratio yourself. SiPhox is a wellness service with no doctor review included. See our GLP-1 blood test guide and SiPhox review.

A note on home samples: SiPhox's partner lab tests capillary blood collected from the upper arm. SiPhox says its results show a 95% to 99% correlation with venous draws in its own quarterly comparisons against Labcorp and Quest, but it has not published a study of the EasyDraw device. If a result would change a treatment decision, confirm it with a venous test through your doctor.

Hormone Focus

$124 + $25 shipping per test

14 biomarkers per test

Sex hormones for men and women, including PSA for men and progesterone for women.

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GLP Optimization

$199 + $25 shipping per test

46 biomarkers per test

Built for people on GLP-1 medication: metabolic, liver, kidney, nutrient and iron markers.

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Ultimate 360

$249 + $25 shipping per test

62 biomarkers per test

Everything on the four core panels plus iron studies, B12 and folate, GGT and PSA.

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Track protein status at homeGLP Optimization includes albumin, total protein, liver, kidney, iron and vitamin markers in one upper-arm draw.

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