Test guide
Prealbumin Blood Test
A prealbumin blood test measures prealbumin levels in your blood. Prealbumin is a protein that's made in your liver and is found in your blood. Prealbumin is used to make other proteins and helps carry thyroid hormones and vitamin A through your bloodstream. It also helps control how your body uses energy.
What it is for
Until recently, a prealbumin test was used to help: While some health care professionals still use the prealbumin test for these reasons, many now believe that changes in prealbumin can actually be a sign of inflammation (swelling), infection, or injury. So, they think that this test should not be used to measure your nutrition levels or test for malnutrition anymore. That being said, there are health care professionals who think the test can still be helpful to check for malnutrition in people who are very sick or hospitalized. Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Medical test information is public domain. Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-18. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.
Limitations
Reference intervals and interpretation depend on the laboratory, specimen, method and clinical context. This source definition is educational information; it does not establish a diagnosis, product approval or suitability for an individual.
Also known as
- thyroxine binding prealbumin, PA, transthyretin test, transthyretin, tryptophan-rich prealbumin
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