The albumin test measures the amount of albumin in the patient’s blood. Albumin is a protein in humans made in the liver, which carries hormones, vitamins, and minerals in our body when it enters the bloodstream. It is also known as the ALB test (Albumin Blood Test).
Albumin test cost ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 300. Mostly, a doctor prescribes liver function (LFT Test) that also includes an albumin test.
Your healthcare worker may suggest you take an albumin test when you encounter any problem related to the liver or kidneys. A Doctor may recommend you a few more tests related to the Kidney and liver for a proper diagnosis.
| Also Known As | Albumin test, serum albumin test |
| Purpose | Measure albumin level for liver and Kidney disorders |
| Preparation | Overnight fasting is preferred |
| Fasting | Yes |
| Reporting Time | 8 to 24 Hrs. |
| Cost | Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 |
Albumin test cost ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 300. It is a comparatively inexpensive test. The actual price may vary depending on the diagnostic centre and sample type. A doctor seldom prescribes an albumin test; instead, liver (LFT) and kidney function test (KFT) are more common. LFT also includes albumin level. LFT test cost ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 1000.
| Name of Lab | Test Price |
|---|---|
| Dr Lal Path labs | Rs 60 (City-based) |
| Metropolis Healthcare | Rs 220 (City-based) |
| SRL Diagnostics | Rs 200 |
| Vijaya Diagnostics | Rs 210 |
The Albumin test cost depends upon the diagnostic centre, and there may be a slight variation from one city to another. Below is the cost range in major cities. You can click on the city name for a list of diagnostic centres providing the test with their price.
| City | Test Price |
|---|---|
| Albumin Test Cost in Delhi | Rs 50 to Rs 300 |
| Albumin Test Cost in Mumbai | Rs 70 to Rs 150 |
| Albumin Test Cost in Bangalore | Rs 70 to Rs 200 |
| Albumin Test Cost in Hyderabad | Rs 100 to Rs 200 |
| Albumin Test Cost in Gurgaon | Rs 60 to Rs 150 |
| Albumin Test Cost in Chennai | Rs 72 to Rs 150 |
Quick links for test prices in some important cities
The albumin test aims to find the level of albumin level in your blood. Depending on the low and high levels of albumin may help identify the underlying disease. But if you don’t have any symptoms of liver problems, you will be suggested to get other tests done with albumin by your healthcare worker.
A decrease in the albumin level can cause various serious problems in your body, like kidney and liver damage. Your healthcare worker may suggest you take an albumin test when you encounter any issue related to the liver or kidneys.
Common symptoms when you should take this test are:
Albumin is present in blood and urine; thus, a diagnostic centre may use a blood or urine sample. Depending on the underlying symptoms, a doctor may suggest a different sample or test type. Some common types are
Urine Albumin tests the content of albumin in your urine to identify the condition of your kidneys. In abnormal conditions, there is an increase in the albumin content in your urine, called albuminuria. The decrease in albumin level is also abnormal, and this condition is called microalbuminuria.
The primary reason behind the albuminuria condition is diabetes. It may also happen due to high blood pressure, heart failure, or cirrhosis. Untreated early symptoms may also cause serious kidney damage. The urine sample for the urine albumin test is taken when you urinate for the first time in the morning.
The purpose of the serum albumin test is the same as blood albumin tests, to measure the amount of albumin content in the blood to identify the underlying problem of your kidneys and liver if there are many. For blood serum albumin tests, the sample is taken in the form of blood from the veins of your arm. Since it also carries minerals into the bloodstream, it may indicate a nutrient deficiency in your body.
Glycated Albumin(GA) is the albumin bound to the sugar. An abnormal increase in the level of glycation can cause serious damage to the internal organs, like kidneys. Glycated albumin helps to understand the severity of diabetes in your blood. It is an important biomarker to identify diabetes in the early stage.
Your healthcare provider recommends a microalbumin test in the case of early signs of serious kidney damage. This test is done in type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure patients. It measures a small level of albumin in your urine. The microalbumin test requires urine as a sample, and it does not require any prior preparations.
ACR or albumin creatinine ratio is measured by dividing albumin level by the creatinine level in 24 hours or spot urine sample.
ACR test is a useful measure of kidney damage. It is a helpful way of identifying patients at risk of progressive Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
Increased urinary albumin excretion is highly predictive of Diabetic Nephropathy and End-stage
renal disease in patients with Diabetes Mellitus.
The procedure varies depending on the sample to be collected.
A blood sample is drawn by puncturing the veins in the arms using a small needle. The sample is collected in a test tube or a vial and sent to the lab. The procedure takes a few minutes.
The technician will provide you with a clean, sterilized container to collect the urine. An early morning first urine sample is preferable.
It would be best if you let a small stream pass through before collecting the urine. Then collect and urine in the container and hand it over to the technician for testing.
Albumin test strips are used for the semi-quantitative analysis of albumin content in the blood. The Color change of chromogen in the albumin strips describes the intensity of albumin present in the blood. It is a simple test that does not require any complex laboratory equipment. There are various albumin test strips available in the market.
You can get various urine albumin test strips available from the market at a reasonably low price. This test helps identify albuminuria and microalbuminuria in diabetic patients by the quantitative measurements of albumin and creatinine in your urine.
Urine and blood albumin and microalbumin test results and normal values are listed below.
| Test Name | Sample | Unit | Normal Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albumin Serum | Blood | gm/dL | 3.8-5.0 |
| Microalbumin | Urine | mg/L | <20 |
| Glycated Albumin | Blood | ml | 0.2-1 |
| Urine Albumin | Urine | ml | 2 ounces |
| Microalbumin: Creatinine Ratio | Urine | mg/g | < 30 |
Higher than normal levels may indicate
Lower than normal level may indicate
If your results are lower or higher than the normal range, you should consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis. Your healthcare provider will clinically correlate your results. She may ask to undergo some additional tests like LFT and KFT.
You shall take a view of the sample report given below.
Albumin Test
Salwa Sayeed has completed her MSC in Bioinformatics from Jamia Millia Islamia. She is passionate about the use of information technology in health services.
Reviewed by: Dr Surbhi Agarwal (MBBS, SN Medical College Agra).
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