Prealbumin (Transthyretin)

If your prealbumin levels are lower than normal, it may be a sign of malnutrition. Malnutrition is a condition where your body doesn't get enough of the nutrients that you need for good health, such as protein, vitamins, and minerals. Children with malnutrition may not grow and develop normally. Prealbumin can also drop in liver disease and during periods of acute inflammation.

Prealbumin only stays in the blood for about 2 days, much shorter than albumin. This short life span means prealbumin changes quickly when nutrition gets better or worse, which is why it's often used to follow how someone is responding to feeding support over days rather than weeks.

If you have low prealbumin levels and you are ill, injured, or recovering from surgery, it may be difficult to know exactly what is causing the low levels. Inflammation and liver problems can also lower prealbumin, so the result alone may not show whether you are well-nourished. Your provider may need to do other tests to find out more about your nutritional health.

Prealbumin can also be used to gauge nutritional needs and how someone is responding to nutrition support, such as IV (parenteral) feeding, and as a marker of adequate nutrition in premature infants.

Prealbumin testing is not used to diagnose or monitor conditions that raise prealbumin. If you have high prealbumin levels, your provider may order other tests to diagnose your condition.