Total protein
All the protein floating in your blood added together.
Also printed asTP · Serum Total Protein
What it measures
Albumin plus every antibody and transport protein in your blood added together.
Splits into albumin and globulin, and it is that split rather than the total that carries the information.
Why it matters for how long you stay well
On its own it says little; split into albumin and the rest it tells you about nutrition on one side and long-running immune activity on the other.
How it shows up in daily life
It shifts with how much water is in you, so being thirsty at the draw can push it up a little.
High and low readings
When it reads high
Dehydration or high antibody levels.
When it reads low
Low intake or protein losses.
What moves it
Daily life
- how much protein you eat
- hydration on the day of the draw
- long-running inflammation
Read it with
Markers that move this one, or that this one moves. One number read alone can mislead.
- AlbuminKnown mechanism
Albumin pushes it up
Albumin is the largest single share of your blood protein. So the total mostly follows it, and a low total usually turns out to be a low albumin.
Common questions
What does Total Protein measure?
Albumin plus every antibody and transport protein in your blood added together. Splits into albumin and globulin, and it is that split rather than the total that carries the information.
What does a high Total protein result usually mean?
Dehydration or high antibody levels.
What does a low Total protein result usually mean?
Low intake or protein losses.
What is the usual reference range for Total protein?
A broad adult reference band is 6–8.3 g/dL. Labs differ, so read your result against the band printed on your own report.
Educational only, not a diagnosis. A single number means little without your history and the rest of your panel, so discuss your own results with your physician.
Typical adult reference band
- Adults
- 6–8.3 g/dL
Labs differ. The band printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result.
Reported in g/dL
Ageing relevance
2/5
Relevant to the ageing of one organ, or to disease screening.
Worth knowing
Blood protein ferries hormones, minerals and medicines around your body, which is why a low level nudges other results too.
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