Guide to a Healthier Liver: What To Expect From Your Blood Test?

Your liver is a genuinely unique organ. You can't live without it. A crucial function is to filter dangerous poisons from your blood, such as alcohol and narcotics. Your liver also creates bile (a chemical required for fat digestion), stores vitamin, minerals, and carbohydrates, degrades old red blood cells, and conducts a variety of other vital functions. That's quite an accomplishment! It's present behind the ribs on the right side of our abdomen.

The Need for LFT Test

With all that the liver performs, it's no surprise that we put it through a lot during our lives. Most livers work overtime due to alcohol, pharmaceuticals, exposure to home cleaners (particularly aerosol sprays), pesticides, and herbicides. As a result, more than 30 million Americans suffer from liver disease.

However, even poor dietary habits have an impact on this crucial organ. According to the American Liver Foundation, NAFLD, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, affects up to 25% of Americans. Obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides are risk factors for NAFLD. Even rapid weight loss triggers NAFLD, and hence conducting LFT blood tests is essential.

Liver Enzymes

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) refers to a liver enzyme that assists in the conversion of stored glucose into usable energy. When the liver isn't working correctly, ALT might get into the bloodstream. The enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is mainly present in the liver. The heart, muscular tissue, kidneys, brain, and red blood cells contain it.

AST aids in the metabolism of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins and help you feel more energized, digest meals more efficiently, and feel stronger. AST can enter the bloodstream if the liver isn't working correctly. GGT (gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) is an enzyme found primarily in the liver and the bile ducts, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys. GGT aids in the transport of amino acids across cell membranes and aids in metabolizing toxins by the liver. GGT can enter the bloodstream when the liver isn't working correctly.

While some of these indicators are found naturally in the blood, any biomarker with higher levels indicates liver injury. The LFT Test can conveniently analyze your medical condition in such a situation. Thus, it's always best to keep yourself aware of the current LFT test prices for any emergency.

Liver Function Test

blood tests that help detect and monitor liver illness or injury are liver function tests. The tests look at how many enzymes and proteins are present in your blood.

Some of these tests assess how well the liver is doing its job of generating protein and removing bilirubin, a waste product found in the blood. Other liver function tests look for enzymes released by liver cells in response to injury or disease.

The presence of abnormal liver function test results does not always imply the existence of liver disease. Your doctor will go through the results with you and explain what they signify.

Why is the LFT Blood Test Done?

Liver function test can:

• Check for illnesses of the liver, such as Hepatitis.
• Determine how effectively a treatment is working by tracking the course of a condition, such as viral or alcoholic hepatitis.
• Determine the degree of an illness, notably liver scarring (cirrhosis)
• Keep an eye on any pharmaceutical adverse effects.

The liver function tests also measure the levels of various enzymes and proteins in your blood. Higher or lower than usual levels may indicate an issue with the liver. The following are some examples of standard liver function tests:

• Alanine transaminase (ALT). ALT is a liver enzyme that aids in converting proteins into energy for the liver cells. ALT gets released into the bloodstream when the liver is injured, and its levels rise.

• Aspartate Transaminase (AST). AST refers to an enzyme that aids in the digestion of amino acids. AST, like ALT, is found in the blood at low levels. Therefore, an increase in AST levels could signify liver disease, illness, or muscle damage.

• Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP). ALP refers to an enzyme that breaks down proteins in the liver and bones. ALP levels that are higher than usual can suggest liver injury or diseases, such as a blocked bile duct or certain bone diseases.

• Albumin and total protein: The liver produces numerous proteins, including albumin. These proteins are essential for your body to fight infections and conduct other functions. Therefore, albumin and total protein levels that are lower than usual may suggest liver injury or illness.

• Bilirubin. Bilirubin is a chemical created when red blood cells break down. Bilirubin gets excreted in the feces after passing through the liver. Increased bilirubin levels (jaundice) can suggest liver injury or disease, as well as some types of anemia.

• Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT): GGT is a circulating enzyme. Higher-than-normal levels could suggest damage to the liver or bile ducts.

• L-lactate dehydrogenase (LD). The enzyme LD is present in the liver. Increased levels can suggest liver disease, but as per experts, other medical conditions can also elevate the levels.

• Prothrombin time (PT). The time it requires for your blood to clot is PT. Increased PT can signal liver disease, but blood-thinning medications like warfarin can also cause it.

Preparing for your LFT Blood Test

• One week before your blood test, avoid lifting heavy weights: It is a must for people who don't conduct hard resistance training regularly. According to research, individuals accustomed to moderate physical activity but not intense muscular exercise regularly may have considerably improved liver function for at least seven days after weightlifting.

• Within 24 hours of a blood test, do not consume alcoholic beverages: GGT blood levels can rise even if you consume only a tiny amount of alcohol. Smoking, NSAIDs, antidepressants, and hormones like testosterone can raise GGT levels.

Conclusion

The fact that liver illness often has no symptoms makes it difficult to diagnose. Many persons with liver disease believe they are in perfect health. That is why it is critical to monitor your biomarkers via the liver function test and note the liver test cost.