To Check How Well the Liver Makes Protein
Albumin is made by the liver, so the blood level reflects how well the liver is doing this work. Low levels can be a sign of liver damage.
AI Summary Serum albumin is a blood test that measures albumin, the main protein your liver makes. A typical result is 3.5 to 5.0 g/dL. A low result can point to liver damage, but malnutrition or chronic inflammation can also cause it. With high pressure in the liver's blood vessels, low albumin can lead to ascites. A high result often reflects dehydration. Doctors read it with other tests. Albumin infusion is a separate treatment for specific problems.
Source: www.liverdirectory.com
Serum Albumin
Medically Reviewed.
Serum albumin is the level of albumin, a protein made by your liver, in your blood. Doctors check it to learn how well the liver is working and to understand problems such as ascites, a buildup of fluid in the abdomen.
A low result can be a sign of liver damage, but it can also come from poor nutrition, long-term inflammation, or other conditions. The number is always read with your other tests and symptoms.
This page explains what the test measures, what the normal range is, what low and high results can mean, how it relates to ascites and albumin treatment, and how to prepare for your visit.
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Albumin blood test basics
What Is Serum Albumin?
Serum albumin is the amount of albumin in your blood. Albumin is the main protein your liver makes. It supports your immune system and carries hormones, drugs, and enzymes through the blood.
Doctors order an albumin blood test to see how well the liver is making the proteins your body needs. Low albumin can be a sign of liver damage. The test is one part of a liver function test panel, which also measures enzymes, bilirubin, and prothrombin time.
Albumin also plays a role in ascites. Ascites forms when pressure rises in the blood vessels of the liver, called portal hypertension, and the blood level of albumin falls. Serum albumin is measured in blood. Ascitic fluid albumin is measured in fluid taken from the abdomen. This page is part of our Ascites Testing guide.
A single result is a snapshot. Your care team looks at repeated results over time.
Serum Albumin at a Glance
- Purpose: to show how well the liver is making proteins. Low levels can be a sign of liver damage.
- Typical range: 3.5 to 5.0 grams per deciliter (g/dL).
- Low result: may be linked to liver function changes, malnutrition, chronic inflammation, or certain medical conditions. It does not point to the liver alone.
- High result: often related to dehydration or fluid loss, such as diarrhea.
- Sample: a blood draw, often run with other liver function tests.
- Trends matter: repeated results show whether the liver is improving, staying stable, or needs a closer look.
Reasons for the blood test
Why Doctors Check Serum Albumin
Serum albumin is a routine blood test. Doctors use it in several situations.
To Look into Symptoms
Doctors often order liver function tests when a person has fatigue, nausea, jaundice (yellow skin or eyes), or swelling, or has been exposed to the hepatitis virus.
To Monitor Liver Disease and Medicines
Albumin is part of the checks for liver damage from hepatitis C and for fatty liver disease. Doctors also repeat liver tests for people who take medicines that can affect the liver, such as acetaminophen, statins, or antiepileptic drugs.
To Understand Ascites and Plan Care
Low blood albumin is one reason fluid collects in the abdomen in advanced liver disease. Doctors also combine albumin with bilirubin in the [ALBI score](/liver-tests/medical-scores/icu-acute-liver-failure-scores/albi-score), which is one way to assess liver function before surgery for liver cancer.
Albumin reference ranges
Serum Albumin Results and Related Tests
Albumin is usually reported with other liver function tests. These are the typical ranges for each test.
Albumin
The main protein made by the liver. It supports immune function and carries hormones, drugs, and enzymes.
3.5–5.0 g/dL
May be linked to liver function changes, malnutrition, chronic inflammation, or certain medical conditions.
Expected range.
Often related to dehydration or fluid loss, such as diarrhea.
Total Protein
All the proteins in your blood, including albumin. The liver makes many of them.
6.3–7.9 g/dL
May suggest reduced protein production, nutrition problems, or liver stress.
Typical range.
May be linked to dehydration, inflammation, or other conditions.
Bilirubin
A yellow substance made when old red blood cells break down.
0.1–1.2 mg/dL
Usually not a concern.
Expected range.
May suggest liver or bile flow changes, more red blood cell breakdown, or a harmless condition such as Gilbert's syndrome.
PT (Prothrombin Time)
How long blood takes to clot. It depends on clotting proteins made by the liver.
9.4–12.5 seconds
Usually not a concern.
Expected range.
May point to liver function changes, vitamin K status, or other conditions that affect clotting.
ALT
An enzyme found mostly in the liver that helps process protein.
7–55 U/L
Usually not a concern.
Expected range.
May reflect liver cell stress or inflammation, such as from viral hepatitis or fatty liver.
AST
An enzyme found in the liver, heart, and muscles.
8–48 U/L
Generally not a concern.
Expected range.
May point to liver stress, muscle injury, heart conditions, or inflammation.
ALP
An enzyme found in the liver and bones.
40–129 U/L
May indicate nutritional deficiencies or rare metabolic conditions.
Typical range.
Can be linked to liver stress, bile duct blockage, bone conditions, or causes outside the liver.
GGT
A liver enzyme that helps process toxins and drugs.
8–61 U/L
Usually not a concern.
Typical range.
May suggest liver stress, alcohol use, bile duct changes, or medicine effects.
Use Your Own Lab Report
Labs can use slightly different ranges. Your report lists the range for your lab, and your care team explains what your result means for you.
Causes of low albumin
What a Low Result Can Mean
Low albumin is a clue, not a diagnosis. Your doctor looks for the cause.
Changes in Liver Function
Low albumin can be a sign of liver damage. In cirrhosis, low albumin and high pressure in the liver's blood vessels together can lead to ascites. Read more on the [Ascites](/liver-therapies/liver-disease-complication-management/ascites) page.
Nutrition and Inflammation
Malnutrition and chronic inflammation can also lower albumin. Malnutrition is common in liver disease and is reported in 65 to 90 percent of people with it, so your care team may check your nutrition as well as your liver.
Signs to Tell Your Care Team About
Contact your care team promptly if your abdomen is growing, you notice new swelling, or you develop abdominal pain or tenderness with a fever. In people with ascites, these can be signs of infected fluid, which needs quick testing with [diagnostic paracentesis](/liver-tests/liver-complication-testing/ascites-testing/diagnostic-paracentesis).
Albumin and ascites care
Serum Albumin vs. Albumin Infusion
A Test Is Not the Same as a Treatment
Serum albumin is a **test**: it measures the albumin already in your blood. Albumin infusion is a **treatment**: albumin given through a vein under medical supervision. Albumin is a natural protein that helps keep fluid inside the blood vessels. Infusions support blood volume and circulation and help kidney blood flow. They are not a way to fix the lab number.
When Albumin Infusion Is Used
Doctors may recommend albumin infusion for cirrhosis with significant ascites, during large-volume paracentesis, or for hepatorenal syndrome. It helps reduce complications after fluid removal. It is usually short-term or tied to a procedure, and your care team monitors blood pressure, kidney function, and fluid status. Your doctor decides the amount and timing.
Managing Ascites Day to Day
If you have ascites, your care team may advise a low-sodium diet, daily weights, and regular follow-up and lab monitoring, and will tell you to avoid alcohol. They may also use medicines such as diuretics or procedures such as [large-volume paracentesis](/liver-therapies/liver-disease-complication-management/ascites/large-volume-paracentesis).
Find a Liver Specialist Near You
Blood test visit tips
What to Expect and How to Prepare
Serum albumin is measured from a routine blood sample, often alongside other liver function tests.
What to Expect
- Before the visit, list your symptoms, including swelling, weight change, fatigue, or jaundice.
- Bring a list of your medicines and supplements, since some can affect the liver.
- A health professional draws a blood sample, and the lab measures albumin with the other tests.
- Your care team reviews the result with your earlier results, because trends matter more than one number.
- Ask what the result means for you, what could be causing it, and when to repeat the test.
Ask your care team whether you need any special preparation for your lab, such as fasting, since it depends on the other tests ordered.
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Common Questions
Answers to Common Serum Albumin Questions
What is a normal serum albumin level?
A normal serum albumin level is typically 3.5 to 5.0 grams per deciliter (g/dL). Albumin is the main protein your liver makes. It supports your immune system and carries hormones, drugs, and enzymes through the blood. Because the liver makes it, the level gives your care team a snapshot of how well the liver is making protein. Labs can use slightly different ranges, so check the range printed on your own report. A single result is only a snapshot. Your care team looks at repeated results over time to see whether your liver is improving, staying stable, or needs a closer look.
Does low albumin mean I have liver disease?
Not always. Low albumin can be a sign of liver damage, but it does not point to the liver alone. Malnutrition, chronic inflammation, and certain other medical conditions can also lower it. Malnutrition is common in liver disease and is reported in 65 to 90 percent of people with it, so your care team may check your nutrition as well as your liver. In cirrhosis, low albumin together with high pressure in the liver's blood vessels can lead to ascites, a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Low albumin is a clue, not a diagnosis. Your doctor reads the result with your other liver tests and your symptoms to look for the cause.
What is the difference between serum albumin and ascitic fluid albumin?
The difference is where the albumin is measured. Serum albumin is measured in a blood sample. Ascitic fluid albumin is measured in fluid taken from the abdomen with a procedure called paracentesis. One shows how much albumin is in your blood, and the other shows how much is in the abdominal fluid. Doctors compare the two when they look for the cause of ascites. Each test answers a different question, so one does not replace the other.
What does a high albumin result mean?
A high result is often related to dehydration or fluid loss, such as from diarrhea. When the body loses fluid, the albumin in the blood can read higher. Ask your doctor whether your fluid intake or a recent illness could explain the result. Your doctor reads a high result together with your other lab results and symptoms, and compares it with the range printed on your lab report. A high result on its own is not a diagnosis.
Will I need albumin infusions if my albumin is low?
Not because of the lab number alone. Serum albumin is a test, and albumin infusion is a treatment: albumin given through a vein under medical supervision. Albumin is a natural protein that helps keep fluid inside the blood vessels. Infusions support blood volume and circulation and help kidney blood flow. They are not a way to fix the lab number. Doctors may recommend an infusion for specific problems, such as cirrhosis with significant ascites, large-volume paracentesis, or hepatorenal syndrome. It is usually short-term or tied to a procedure, and your care team monitors blood pressure, kidney function, and fluid status. Your doctor decides whether you need it, and how much and when.
Medical disclaimer: LiverDirectory provides educational information and a directory of providers. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a licensed physician regarding any medical condition.