Albumin

Albumin is the most abundant protein in the body, produced by liver cells, or hepatocytes, composing approximately 50-60% of plasma in healthy people. Albumin is a vital protein in the blood and responsible for maintaining osmotic pressure in blood vessels and transporting endogenous and exogenous molecules through the body. Medications, hormones, bilirubin, and fatty acids are just a few of the essential components albumin functions to transport. Albumin binds to waste products and toxins to facilitate their removal and reduce the exerted negative effects. Albumin blood tests measure the amount of the protein in blood and are taken to indicate kidney and liver health; levels often decline with chronic liver disease and kidney failure. Albumin also is used therapeutically in burn and trauma care, liver cirrhosis, infections and sepsis, and fluid management. The liver produces about 10-15 grams of albumin daily to maintain plasma protein levels. As albumin degrades it is transformed into urea, another biomarker commonly used to assess kidney health and protein processing [36]. Source