Total protein is the sum of albumin and globulins. A higher or lower total protein result can be linked to dehydration, inflammation, liver disease, kidney conditions, immune-system activity, or nutrition-related problems. It does not make a diagnosis on its own.
Doctors usually interpret total protein next to albumin, the globulin fraction, and other blood tests such as liver or kidney markers. That broader pattern helps explain whether a result fits dehydration, protein loss, inflammation, or another cause.
Discuss your result with a clinician, especially if total protein is repeatedly outside the reference range or changes together with swelling, weight loss, infections, or abnormal liver and kidney tests.
For information only. Related guides: Low albumin · Globulin · Analyze