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What does an albumin test measure?

Updated 2026-08 2 sources 1 min

Albumin is the most abundant protein in blood and is made by the liver. Measuring it gives information about liver function, kidney function and nutritional state, which is why it appears in several different panels.

A low albumin can point toward the liver not producing enough, the kidneys losing protein, poor absorption, or the effect of inflammation. Because so many routes lead to the same result, it is one of the least useful numbers to read in isolation.

It is almost always interpreted alongside other tests and your clinical picture. If yours is flagged, the meaningful question is what the rest of the panel showed, and that is a conversation with the clinician who ordered it.

Sources

  1. 1 MedlinePlus (NIH): Albumin Blood Test medlineplus.gov ↗
  2. 2 MedlinePlus (NIH): Liver Function Tests medlineplus.gov ↗

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