Albumin

Measured in g/dL

The most abundant protein in blood — a broad marker made by the liver that reflects nutrition, inflammation, and fluid status, so it's non-specific on its own.

What it is

Albumin is a protein made by your liver that keeps fluid inside your blood vessels and carries hormones, medicines, and minerals like calcium around the body. It's usually reviewed alongside total protein, liver enzymes, and kidney markers, and it's part of why calcium results have to be read with albumin in mind. The honest caveat is that albumin is non-specific: it can dip with inflammation, acute illness, pregnancy, or protein loss, and can read higher with dehydration, so it's a context clue rather than an answer by itself.

Typical range

  • Adults3.5–5.0 g/dL

Source · Mayo Clinic Laboratories (ALB) (2026)

Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and what is normal for you depends on your own history. Your own lab’s range is the one printed on your report.

Worth asking your clinician

  • What does my albumin level suggest when read alongside my other results?
  • Could recent illness, inflammation, or hydration be influencing this value?
  • How should my albumin change the way we read my calcium result?