Metabolism
Protein, Total
What This Marker Tells Us
Measures all proteins in blood, primarily albumin and globulins, revealing nutritional status, liver function, immune activity, and hydration.
Why It Matters
Proteins maintain fluid balance, transport nutrients and hormones, provide immune defense, and enable blood clotting. Abnormal total protein indicates malnutrition, liver disease, kidney losses, chronic inflammation, or dehydration. While less specific than albumin or globulin individually, total protein provides quick assessment of overall protein status and flags conditions requiring deeper investigation.
How to Interpret Your Trends
Low total protein (below 6.0 g/dL) suggests malnutrition, liver disease, kidney losses, malabsorption, or severe inflammation. Typical total protein (6.0-8.3 g/dL) indicates adequate nutrition and protein synthesis. High total protein (above 8.3 g/dL) usually reflects dehydration concentrating blood, chronic inflammation elevating globulins, or rarely multiple myeloma producing abnormal proteins.
What Influences This Marker
Protein intake, liver synthesis capacity, kidney protein losses, and hydration status affect total protein. Chronic inflammation, infection, and autoimmune disease elevate globulins. Malnutrition, liver disease, and malabsorption lower protein. Dehydration concentrates protein. Adequate protein intake, treating underlying conditions, and proper hydration maintain normal levels.
How Your Team Uses It
Your coach uses total protein to screen for nutritional and protein metabolism issues, prompting measurement of albumin and globulin fractions when abnormal. It guides protein intake recommendations and investigation of underlying liver, kidney, or inflammatory conditions affecting protein balance.
Related Signals We Also Review
Albumin, globulin, A/G ratio, liver function, kidney function, inflammatory markers, and nutritional assessment complete the protein status evaluation.