Liver and kidney markers
Total Protein Blood Test: Normal Range and What High or Low Means
Reviewed by a qualified clinician · analysed at UKAS-accredited UK labs (ISO 15189)
Last reviewed July 20266 min read
Every Helvy guide is written by our health editors, then checked by a qualified clinician before it goes live and re-checked as the science moves. We name clinical roles, not individuals, until each reviewer has agreed to be credited publicly. This is wellness guidance to help you understand your own data, not a diagnosis.
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A total protein blood test measures all the protein in your blood at once. UK labs use a normal range of about 60 to 80 g/L. High total protein is most often dehydration. Low total protein can point to liver strain, kidney protein loss or poor absorption. On its own the number means little, so it is always read next to your albumin result.
Find the test that checks your total protein →As of July 2026. Total protein sits on most routine UK blood panels, usually right above albumin. This guide sticks to the NHS reference range and what a high or low result can point to.
It is one of those results people scroll straight past until it comes back flagged. Then the question is immediate: is this serious? Usually not. Here is what the number is actually made of.
1. What is total protein?
Total protein is the sum of every protein floating in your blood. It is not one substance. It is a headcount, and it splits into two groups.
- Albumin, made by your liver, which is about 60% of the total.
- Globulins, the rest, which include the antibodies your immune system makes.
That split is why the number on its own tells you so little. Two people can both sit at 78 g/L for opposite reasons. One is a bit dehydrated. The other has low albumin and raised globulins that happen to cancel out.
So total protein is a screening marker, not an answer. It flags that something in the protein picture is worth a closer look. Your albumin result is what starts to explain it.
2. What is a normal total protein level?
UK labs generally use 60 to 80 g/L for adults. North Bristol NHS Trust and South Tees Hospitals both publish that range. Methods differ slightly between labs, so read your result against the range printed on your own report.
| Result | Typical range | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 60–80 g/L | Nothing to chase on this marker alone |
| High | Above ~80 g/L | Most often dehydration on the day |
| Low | Below ~60 g/L | Read with albumin, liver and kidney markers |
Ranges are a guide, not a diagnosis. For the wider picture, see our blood test reference ranges guide.
3. What does high total protein mean?
The most common reason is the least dramatic one: dehydration. Less water in your blood means the protein in it looks more concentrated. A tight tourniquet or a clenched fist during the draw can nudge it up too.
If that is the cause, the fix is easy. Rehydrate properly, retest, and the number usually settles. It is worth ruling this out before reading anything more into a single high result.
A high total protein that stays high, especially with a normal or low albumin, means the globulin half is doing the lifting. That pattern is one a qualified clinician follows up with more specific protein tests rather than guesswork. It is not something to self-interpret from one line on a results page.
4. What does low total protein mean?
Low total protein nearly always means low albumin, because albumin is the bigger half. The usual explanations fall into four groups:
- Liver strain. A struggling liver makes less albumin, so the total falls with it.
- Kidney protein loss. Damaged kidneys can leak protein into your urine.
- Poor absorption. Coeliac disease and other gut conditions can stop protein being absorbed.
- Not enough protein in the diet, or a long stretch of illness or inflammation.
“More specific tests, such as albumin and liver enzyme blood tests, must be performed to make an accurate diagnosis.”
— Lab Tests Online UK, Association for Laboratory Medicine
That is the whole point of this marker. A low total protein narrows the question without answering it. Your liver enzymes and kidney markers are what turn it into a picture.
5. How to check your total protein
Nobody should test total protein on its own. It earns its place beside albumin, your liver enzymes and your kidney markers. Read together, those numbers tell a story a single value cannot.
Helvy includes total protein in the General Energy & Wellness panel (£149), which also covers albumin, kidney markers and inflammation, and in the Thyroid & Vital Organs panel (£159), which reads it alongside a full liver and kidney profile. Both are home finger-prick tests, with results in about five working days from UKAS-accredited UK laboratories.
Not sure which markers you need? The build-my-test tool matches you to a panel from a few quick questions. For the wider set of routine markers, our full blood count guide and metabolic health hub are good next reads.
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See total protein in the company it keeps
Helvy’s home blood tests read total protein next to the albumin, liver and kidney markers that give it meaning, with clear context on every number. So a result is something you can understand, not something you have to Google. Results in about 5 working days from UKAS-accredited UK laboratories.
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal total protein level?
UK labs generally use about 60 to 80 g/L for adults. Ranges vary by lab and method, so read your result against the figures on your own report. This is general information, not medical advice.
Should I worry about high total protein?
Not on the strength of one result. Dehydration is the most common reason, and rehydrating before a repeat test often settles it. If it stays high, a qualified clinician can order more specific protein tests to see which half of the number is raised.
What is the difference between total protein and albumin?
Albumin is one protein, made by your liver, and it makes up about 60% of the total. Total protein counts albumin plus all the globulins, including your antibodies. Albumin is the more specific marker, which is why the two are always read together.
Can I test total protein at home?
Yes. Total protein sits in Helvy’s General Energy & Wellness and Thyroid & Vital Organs panels, both home finger-prick tests analysed by UKAS-accredited UK labs. It is reported next to albumin and your liver and kidney markers.