What Causes Abnormal Albumin Levels?

Abnormal albumin levels can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'needs attention' to 'critical'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose abnormal albumin levels, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "abnormal albumin levels" as a symptom. Here are four possibilities:

Heart Disease
Ulcerative Colitis
Cirrhosis Of The Liver
Nephrotic Syndrome

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

heart attack(s) in mother

confirmed liver cirrhosis

severe lower-right abdominal pain

high LDL cholesterol level

rapid pulse rate

history of heart attacks

having low-normal TT4 level

current birth control pill use

trace amounts of occult blood

regular painful urge to defecate

significant red blood in stools

red palms/fingertips

... and more than 50 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of abnormal albumin levels:

Cause	Probability	Status
Nephrotic Syndrome	97%	Confirm
Ulcerative Colitis	13%	Unlikely
Heart Disease	2%	Ruled out
Cirrhosis Of The Liver	1%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate having had recent lab tests, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Albumin. Unit: g/dL [g/L]

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ Under 3.8 [38] (very low)
→ 3.8 to 4.2 [38-42] (low)
→ 4.3 to 5.0 [43-50] (normal)
→ Over 5.0 [50] (high)

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate hypoalbuminemia, normal albumin levels or hyperalbuminemia, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Coronary Disease / Heart Attack

Hypoalbuminemia can be caused by certain heart conditions such as congestive heart failure or pericarditis that lead to low albumin levels in the blood.

Cirrhosis of the Liver

Ulcerative Colitis

Nephrotic Syndrome

Your Albumin Levels