What Does It Mean to Have High or Low Albumin Levels?

Is there another non-liver condition that leads to low albumin levels?

Yes. There is a number of conditions in which serum albumin is significantly reduced.

Malnutrition can also lead to decreased albumin levels because protein intake is not enough to synthesize body proteins. In patients with celiac disease and Crohn’s disease, there’s a malabsorption syndrome that leads to low amino acid levels and low albumin levels in the blood.

Inflammation may also cause a reduction in albumin levels. In this case, inflammatory cytokines contribute to the breakdown of protein. The body destroys albumin and other proteins, reducing our serum levels. Thus, inflammation in chronic illness, cancer, burns, and infections may lead to low albumin levels.