Albumin is one of the most important proteins used in the human body. This essential protein makes up approximately 60 percent of protein in blood plasma, where it acts as a carrier molecule for other molecules that are transported in the blood. Hypoalbuminemia is a condition in which levels of this protein are abnormally low. It often affects people with chronic or acute health problems such as liver disease, heart failure and kidney disease. In addition, inadequate dietary intake of protein can reduce levels of albumin in the blood.
Blood albumin levels are regulated by several processes. These include the production of the protein in the liver, the amount of protein secreted by the liver, the amount of protein in body fluids other than blood and the rate at which the protein is degraded. Dysfunction in one or more of these processes can result in hypoalbuminemia.
Hypoalbuminemia generally is not considered a medical condition in itself, but a possible side effect of other health problems. For example, liver disease can cause this condition because albumin is synthesized in the liver. When liver cells die because of disease, the albumin-producing capability of the liver is reduced. Albumin also can be lost via the kidneys in cases of kidney disease, because these organs normally filter albumin from the kidneys so that the protein can be recycled. Diseases such as tuberculosis and inflammatory bowel disease can reduce levels of albumin in the blood as a result of chronic inflammation.
Many people with low blood albumin are asymptomatic; symptoms often do not appear except in cases of moderate to severe disease. Possible hypoalbuminemia symptoms include full-body swelling or swelling in one or more parts of the body such as the legs, hands or face. People with this condition might have a poor appetite, muscle weakness, muscle cramps or fatigue. Other symptoms depend on the underlying cause of low blood albumin levels.
Low blood albumin levels cannot be corrected by simply prescribing an albumin supplement to raise blood levels of the protein. In fact, some studies indicate that it might even be harmful to administer albumin as part of treatment. The optimum treatment for people with hypoalbuminemia is dependent on the cause of the condition. Low blood albumin levels are treated by managing the cause. Therefore, a patient being treated for this condition might consult with a surgeon, nephrologist, cardiologist or another type of doctor, depending on the cause.