Low Blood Protein & Disease

Proteins are nutrients necessary for the structure of cells, tissues and organs, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Low blood protein or protein deficiency is typically a sign of an underlying disease and has the potential to cause serious health problems.

Background

• Your kidneys are a pair of organs used to remove excess fluid from the body by producing urine. As your blood passes through your kidneys, proteins and other nutrients typically remain in the blood stream, where they can be used for biological processes.

Nephrotic Syndrome

• Nephrotic syndrome is a type of kidney disease that affects the glomeruli, the structures responsible for keeping protein in the blood stream. When the glomeruli are damaged, protein is allowed to pass into the urine, resulting in low blood protein levels.

Diagnosis

• Doctors sometimes diagnose low blood protein through routine blood tests, but often the condition is discovered through urinalysis. When urinalysis reveals excess protein in the urine, or proteinuria, doctors are able to conclude that a patient is at risk for protein deficiency.

Effects

• In children, untreated low blood protein levels can inhibit growth. Other effects of low blood protein levels include brittle or fine hair, hair loss, fading of hair color, Meuhrcke's lines or white lines under your fingernails, muscle weakness and delayed wound healing, according to NetNutritionist.com.

Treatment

• Normally, the conditions that caused nephrotic syndrome, like high cholesterol or blood pressure, must first be treated before blood protein levels can be corrected. Once this occurs, blood protein levels may return to normal on their own or require a specialized diet and the use of protein supplements.