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The liver is an important organ in the body. It aids your body by getting rid of dangerous things and breaking down drugs and alcohol. It helps to measure different things that the human liver prepares. Your doctor can learn a lot about the health of your liver and how well it's performing after the test and medication. A liver panel will frequently check for many things in one blood sample. The Liver function tests determine liver health by measuring the levels of proteins, liver enzymes, and bilirubin in the blood.
The doctor recommends an LFT test to check the liver infections, such as hepatitis B and C, liver disorder, alcoholic liver disease, liver failure (cirrhosis), side effects of any medication, to monitor liver function in patients who have diabetes, hypertension, anemia, gall bladder disease, before operating for gall bladder stones.
Different liver function blood tests tell you different things about how well your liver works and how healthy you are overall.
The results don't point to a specific illness, but they could show indicators of liver disease or damage.
If your test results are not normal, your doctor may advise other testing, including:
An ultrasound to see how big and shaped the liver is
A CT or MRI scan to get clear photographs of your liver
In some cases, other parts of the body can potentially affect some LFT results. It is best to connect with the doctor to interpret the result and get the right advise.
Other than these, your doctor may give the insight on following things-
Alanine transaminase (ALT) - measures the enzyme that metabolizes the protein. A higher level is a sign of liver damage.
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) - an enzyme found in the heart, liver, and muscles. High levels indicate liver damage or muscle damage.
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) - is found in bones, bile duct, liver. High levels indicate liver inflammation, blockage of bile ducts, or bone disease.
Albumin measures how well the liver makes albumin. Low albumin indicates poor nutrition, kidney disease, infection, and inflammation.
Total Bilirubin comprises of Conjugated & unconjugated - Bilirubin is getting conjugated by liver & conjugated bilirubin is disposed by CBD.
Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) - GGT is an enzyme in the blood. Higher levels may indicate liver or bile duct damage.
Blood sample is taken from the vein at any point of time
ALT | 5 to 33 units per liter (U/L) |
AST | 15 to 37 U/L |
ALP | 46 to 116 U/L |
Albumin | 3.5 to 5.0 grams per deciliter (g/dL) |
Total protein | 6.3 to 7.9 g/dL |
Bilirubin | 0.1 to 1.2 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) |
GGT | 5 to 55 U/L |
These values are for theoretical reference and may vary from laboratory to laboratory and person to person.
In case you are advised to get a test done, you can consider home sample collection too. The LFT test price may vary from lab to lab.
There is no special preparation needed to undergo the liver function blood test. The clinician would withdraw some amount of blood for the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any risk of undergoing a liver function test?
Are there any special rules to follow before undergoing the test?
What if the LFT result isn't normal?