What does low protein in blood mean?

Hypoalbuminemia is a medical condition in which albumin level is abnormally low.

Protein in plasma is made up of albumin and globulin. Albumin is a major protein in the human body. Many hormones, drugs and other molecules are mostly bound to albumins in the blood stream and must be released before they become biologically active.

Hypoalbuminemia may be indicative of liver diseases as albumin is synthesised in the liver. It may also indicate kidney damage when the protein is lost through the urine. Low albumin levels can be an indicator of chronic malnutrition.