Albumin

Albumin is the most abundant protein in your blood, made by the liver. It helps hold fluid inside your blood vessels and acts as a carrier for hormones, drugs, calcium, and other substances. On a metabolic panel it serves as a general marker of liver synthesis, nutrition, and hydration.

The typical adult reference range is about 3.4 to 5.4 g/dL, though it varies slightly by lab. Values a little above the range usually reflect dehydration rather than disease, while low albumin can point to liver disease, kidney disease, malnutrition, or chronic inflammation. Read your number against the range printed on your own report.

Albumin binds testosterone loosely, so it's part of what determines how much of your testosterone is biologically available. Calculated free testosterone formulas like the Vermeulen equation use total testosterone, SHBG, and albumin together, which is why albumin sometimes appears alongside a hormone panel. If your lab doesn't report it, about 4.3 g/dL is a reasonable default for most healthy men.

Yes. Because albumin concentration depends partly on plasma volume, being dehydrated at the time of the draw can push it toward or slightly past the top of the range without any real problem. Drinking water normally before a fasted morning draw gives a more representative result. A mildly high albumin with otherwise normal labs is rarely a concern, but your physician interprets it in context.