What is the difference between albumin, prealbumin, and microalbumin tests?
Albumin and microalbumin are the same molecule while prealbumin, despite the similar-sounding name, is a completely unrelated molecule. The prealbumin test measures a protein that reflects your current nutritional status, particularly before and after surgery, or if you are hospitalized or taking nutritional supplements. Albumin testing is more often used to test for liver or kidney disease or to learn if your body is not absorbing enough amino acids. Albumin can also be used to monitor nutritional status and is a more widely available test than prealbumin. However, prealbumin changes more quickly, making it more useful for detecting changes in short-term nutritional status than albumin. The microalbumin test measures very small levels of albumin in your urine and may indicate whether you are at risk for developing kidney disease.
