Why do doctors do Liver Function Tests?- By Dr harold Gunatillake
Liver function tests are blood tests used to help diagnose and monitor liver disease or
damage. The tests measure the levels of certain enzymes and proteins in your blood produced in your liver.
Most diseases start due to damaged livers, and one could assess the damage through liver enzyme studies.
The four warning signs of a damaged liver are:
yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), swelling in the legs, ankles and feet
caused by a build-up of fluid (oedema) swelling in your abdomen caused by a build-up of
fluid known as ascites. A high temperature and shivering attacks.
So, your doctor will request a group of blood tests that provide information about the state of your liver. These tests include prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, albumin, bilirubin, and others, to assess the functions of the liver.
How does your doctor suspect liver damage?
If signs and symptoms of liver disease do occur, they may include the following:
1. Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
2. Abdominal pain and swelling.
3. Swelling in the legs and ankles.
4. Itchy skin.
5. Dark urine colour.
6. Pale stool colour.
7. Chronic fatigue.
8. Nausea or vomiting.
The liver function tests typically include alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate
transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), serum https://youtu.be/iUIMQ5NsNso Website: www.Doctorharold.com bilirubin, prothrombin time (PT), the international normalised ratio (INR), total protein and albumin.
When you get the blood reports on your liver function tests, you need clarification on what those abbreviations stand for. I am now going to explain every test done to check on the health of your liver.
Let’s look at alanine transaminase or ALT.
The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) test is a blood test that checks for liver damage.
An increased ALT level is often a sign of liver disease. An increased ALT level may be due to liver scarring ( cirrhosis ) and Death of liver tissue. Liver disease is even more likely when the levels of substances checked by other liver blood tests have also increased.
ALT levels greater than 15 times the normal range indicate severe acute liver cell injury, and evaluation should be initiated immediately. The differential diagnosis for patients with severe acute liver injury (ALT levels >15 times the normal range) is relatively limited.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a specific marker for liver inflammation and is typically elevated in individuals with a fatty liver.
Average blood test results for typical liver function tests include ALT. 7 to 55 units per litre (U/L)
Now let’s talk about Alkaline phosphatase
An alkaline phosphatase (ALP) test measures the amount of ALP in the blood. It is
commonly used to diagnose liver damage or bone disorders.
High alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels may indicate that there’s damage to your liver or that
you have a type of bone disorder. Liver damage creates a different type of ALP than bone
disorders do.
Alkaline phosphatase is high if the blood levels surpass 130 U/L. Elevated alkaline
phosphatase doesn’t cause any symptoms directly. The symptoms will depend on your
underlying health issues–such as liver or bone disorders.
Let’s talk about the gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) test.
It measures the amount of GGT in the blood. GGT is an enzyme found throughout the body What does it mean if my GGT is high? Having a higher-than-normal GGT level in your blood may indicate that a condition or disease is damaging your liver. However, the GGT test alone cannot identify the specific cause of the damage. In general, the higher the GGT level, the greater the damage to your liver.
Let’s now talk about prothrombin time or PT.
The prothrombin time, sometimes referred to as PT or pro time, is a test to evaluate blood clotting.
The “prothrombin time” (PT) is one way of measuring how long it takes blood to form a clot, and it is measured in seconds (such as 13.2 seconds). A typical PT indicates that an average amount of blood-clotting protein is available.
A typical PT result is 10 to 14 seconds. Higher than that means your blood is taking longer than usual to clot and may be a sign of many conditions, including Bleeding or clotting disorder. Lack of vitamin K A high PT usually means that there is severe liver damage or cirrhosis. When the PT is high, it takes longer for the blood to clot (17 seconds, for example). This usually happens because the liver is not making the right amount of blood clotting proteins, so the clotting process takes longer.
Albumen and total protein
Now let’s talk about albumen and total protein in relation to liver disease.
The total protein test measures your body’s total amount of albumin and globulin. It’s used as part of your routine health checkup. It may also be used for unexpected weight loss, fatigue, or kidney or liver disease symptoms.
What do high albumin and total protein mean?
Albumin is a protein in your blood plasma made in the liver. High albumin levels are usually the result of dehydration or severe diarrhoea. Low albumin levels might result from kidney disease, liver disease, inflammation or infections. Low levels of serum albumin suggest your liver is not functioning correctly.
Let’s talk about Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)
What does it mean if my GGT is high? Having a higher-than-normal GGT level in your blood may indicate that a condition or disease is damaging your liver. However, the GGT test alone cannot identify the specific cause of the damage. In general, the higher the GGT level, the greater the damage to your liver.
Let’s talk about L-lactate dehydrogenase (LD)
What does it mean when your LD level is high? Higher LDH levels usually mean you have some tissue damage or disease. Disorders that cause high LDH levels include Anemia. Kidney disease.
Let’s talk about the serum bilirubin test.
Bilirubin testing may be done to Investigate jaundice — a yellowing of the skin and eyes caused by high bilirubin levels. This test is commonly used to measure bilirubin levels in
newborns with infant jaundice. What is a high bilirubin level? Typically, bilirubin levels fall between 0.3 and 1.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Anything above 1.2 mg/dL is usually considered elevated.
What is the leading cause of high bilirubin?
Higher than usual levels of bilirubin may indicate different types of liver or bile duct
problems. Sometimes, higher bilirubin levels may be caused by an increased rate of
destruction of a red blood cell.
Next time when your doctor requests blood liver function tests, and when you receive the report, you may be able to interpret the situation by being familiar with the liver enzymes. Remember the factors that cause liver damage and take measures to avoid them. They are: Factors that may increase your risk of liver disease include:
Heavy alcohol use.
Obesity. Type 2 diabetes.
Tattoos or body piercings.
Injecting drugs using shared needles.
Blood transfusion before 1992.
Exposure to other people’s blood and body fluids.
Unprotected sex.
I hope this video presentation has been beneficial.
Please stay safe, and goodbye and blessings from Kandy until we meet again.
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