Keep track of the effects of cholesterol-lowering medicines and other medicines that can damage the liver.
Tell your doctor: All of the medicines and natural health products you are taking. If you are allergic to any medicines. If you are or might be pregnant. How It Is Done The health professional taking a sample of your blood will: Wrap an elastic band around your upper arm to stop the flow of blood.
This makes the veins below the band larger so it is easier to put a needle into the vein. Clean the needle site with alcohol. Put the needle into the vein.
More than one needle stick may be needed. Attach a tube to the needle to fill it with blood. Remove the band from your arm when enough blood is collected. Put a gauze pad or cotton ball over the needle site as the needle is removed.
Put pressure on the site and then put on a bandage. How It Feels The blood sample is taken from a vein in your arm. Risks There is very little chance of a problem from having blood sample taken from a vein. You may get a small bruise at the site. You can lower the chance of bruising by keeping pressure on the site for several minutes.
In rare cases, the vein may become swollen after the blood sample is taken. This problem is called phlebitis. A warm compress can be used several times a day to treat this. ALT is commonly tested in conjunction with aspartate aminotransferase AST , another liver enzyme, as part of a liver panel.
Both ALT and AST levels usually rise whenever the liver is being damaged, although ALT is more specific for the liver and, in some cases, may be the only one of the two to be increased. Want to get this tested? A health practitioner usually orders an ALT test to evaluate a person who has signs and symptoms of a liver disorder. Some of these may include:. ALT may also be ordered, either by itself or with other tests, for people who are at an increased risk for liver disease since many people with mild liver damage will have no signs or symptoms.
Some examples include:. In persons with mild symptoms, such as fatigue or loss of energy, ALT may be tested to make sure they do not have chronic liver disease. The risk of bruising can be minimized by applying pressure to the injection site for several minutes after the needle is removed. This value can vary depending on the lab. This range can be affected by certain factors, including sex and age. Higher-than-normal levels of ALT can indicate liver damage.
Increased levels of ALT may be a result of:. Most lower ALT results indicate a healthy liver. However, studies have shown that lower-than-normal results have been related to increased long-term mortality. If your test results indicate liver damage or disease, you may need more testing to determine the underlying cause of the problem and the best way to treat it. Liver function tests help screen for problems such as infections, scarring, and disorders. They're also used if you start experiencing symptoms of a….
Hepatic failure, also known as liver failure, can be a silent killer. Cirrhosis is the severe scarring and poor function of the liver caused by long-term exposure to toxins such as alcohol or viral infections. Damage to the liver from excessive drinking can lead to ARLD.
Years of alcohol abuse cause the liver to become inflamed and swollen. Learn about liver cancer symptoms, types, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Risks There is very little chance of a problem from having blood sample taken from a vein.
You may get a small bruise at the site. You can lower the chance of bruising by keeping pressure on the site for several minutes. In rare cases, the vein may become swollen after the blood sample is taken. This problem is called phlebitis.
A warm compress can be used several times a day to treat this. Results An alanine aminotransferase ALT test measures the amount of this enzyme in the blood. Normal The normal values listed here—called a reference range—are just a guide. Lead poisoning. Very strenuous exercise or severe injury to a muscle. Exposure to carbon tetrachloride. Decay of a large tumor necrosis. Many medicines, such as statins , antibiotics, chemotherapy, aspirin, opioids , and barbiturates.
Growth spurts, especially in young children. Rapid growth can cause mildly elevated levels of ALT. What Affects the Test You may not be able to have the test, or the results may not be helpful, if: You take some herbs and natural products , such as echinacea and valerian.
You recently had cardiac catheterization or surgery. This value can often help determine whether there is damage to the liver related to heavy alcohol use. The gamma glutamyl transferase GGT test is sometimes done along with other liver enzyme tests.
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