Total Protein

Total protein measures all the protein in your serum, made up mainly of albumin and a group of proteins called globulins. It's a routine part of a metabolic panel and reflects nutritional status, hydration, and how well your liver is making protein. Labs often report albumin, globulin, and the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio alongside it to show the balance between the two.

The usual adult reference range is about 6.0 to 8.3 g/dL, though it varies slightly by lab. High total protein can reflect dehydration or chronic inflammation and, less commonly, a monoclonal gammopathy, while low total protein can point to malnutrition, liver disease, kidney disease, or malabsorption. Compare your value to the range on your own report.

Albumin is one component of total protein; the rest is globulins. So total protein is the sum of albumin plus globulins, and a lab can subtract albumin from total protein to estimate globulins and the A/G ratio. A normal total protein with an unusual A/G ratio can be more informative than either number alone, which is why they're reported together.

No, testosterone therapy doesn't meaningfully change total protein, and it isn't a marker used to monitor TRT. It shows up simply because it's a standard part of the comprehensive metabolic panel that often accompanies hormone testing. Any abnormal value is best interpreted by your physician alongside albumin, liver enzymes, and the rest of the panel.