Abnormal liver blood test results are relatively common and most people with these results have normal liver function. However, any abnormality does need to be investigated to find out what the cause is. Scans may be performed to help understand the cause of the abnormality and also to assess how significant any damage is. These may include imaging scans such as ultrasound, elastography scans such as FibroScan, CT or MRI scans , which help doctors get a better picture of the extent of any damage to the liver.
In certain cases a liver biopsy where a tiny piece of tissue is taken from the liver for examination may be considered to specifically diagnose a condition or provide information on the extent of scarring inside the liver. If you are very unwell, you may be referred or admitted to hospital, although this is unusual — only a very small number of people with abnormal liver blood tests require admission. Your doctor will explain your test results to you.
If they are abnormal, your doctor will also explain the most likely cause, and how severely affected your liver may be. When a patient has been found to have an abnormal liver blood test, the next step is to establish the cause. This requires a second panel set of blood tests that look for potential causes such as viruses, problems with the immune system and rarer inherited conditions.
If you have NAFLD, the next step is to investigate the extent of the condition and if the liver is scarred or damaged. The level of scarring can be assessed using specialist scans or blood tests and your doctor can explain these to you. If these tests are not able to assess any damage accurately, a liver biopsy may be considered to provide more detailed information. Because NAFLD is commonly associated with being overweight, there is evidence to suggest that losing weight through diet and exercise helps reduce the amount of fat in the liver and damage done to it.
The Government advises that both men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units in a week. It is also important to have consecutive days off drinking a week to allow your liver to recover. However, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence NICE guidelines recommend that if you drink alcohol in a harmful way, defined as more than 50 units of alcohol per week for men around 15 pints of beer and 35 units for women about 3.
Not necessarily. If your results are abnormal your GP can advise you on the next steps to determine the cause and assess how serious the problem and any associated damage is. You need to see specialists at this point, which your doctor will arrange. For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor. See related article on mildly elevated liver transaminase levels. The liver releases several substances when it is injured. About three out of 10 people will have normal levels again if blood tests are repeated in two to four weeks.
Medical conditions such as hepatitis swelling of the liver , nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the metabolic syndrome, and alcoholic liver disease are the more common causes. Certain medicines can also cause elevated liver enzymes. Your doctor will ask you questions and examine you to try to find out why your enzymes are elevated. He or she may do another blood test to make sure the results weren't wrong.
If these tests are also positive, your doctor will do other tests to find out what is causing the problem. Treatment depends on what is causing your liver enzymes to be elevated.
If your doctor thinks you have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or the metabolic syndrome, you will need to watch your diet, stop drinking alcohol, lose weight, and control your cholesterol.
If your liver enzymes are still elevated after six months, your doctor may do more blood tests or an ultrasound. He or she also might want you to see another doctor who specializes in the digestive system. This doctor will check for other causes and may also do a liver biopsy. Already a member or subscriber? Log in. Ruth Montalvo , Dr. If you suffer from gastrointestinal problems, abdominal pain, or need a colorectal cancer screening, contact us at to schedule an appointment.
Please do not include any clinical or personal information on this form. Please contact our office: Ranvir Singh, Dr. Stephen Rashbaum, Dr. Long Nguyen, Dr. Nitin Parikh, Dr. Ruth Montalvo, Dr. Abnormal Liver Enzymes. With acute Hepatitis, AST levels usually stay high for about months but can take as long as months to return to normal.
Levels of AST may also be markedly elevated often over times normal as a result of exposure to drugs or other substances that are toxic to the liver as well as in conditions that cause decreased blood flow ischemia to the liver. AST often varies between normal and slightly increased with Chronic Hepatitis, so the test may be ordered frequently to determine the pattern. Such moderate increases may also be seen in other diseases of the liver, especially when the bile ducts are blocked, or with cirrhosis or certain cancers of the liver.
AST may also increase after heart attacks and with muscle injury, usually to a much greater degree than ALT.
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