How to Control SGPT and SGOT Levels?
The liver is one of the most important organs of the body and is responsible for proper digestion, detoxification, blood production, metabolism, and much more. It is known as one of the largest solid organs in the human body and performs several functions of the body. Needless to say, maintaining a healthy liver is crucial for one's survival and well-being. 1
If you're wondering how to improve liver function, there are several ways to ensure that. From maintaining a healthy diet for liver health, checking for elevated liver enzymes, or reducing alcohol consumption, you can adopt several lifestyle changes to promote better liver health. While that might include giving up your favourite snack or weekend parties, it's definitely for the greater good.
There are several ways to check your liver function and avoid complications in the future. Apart from modifying your diet and lifestyle or taking the liver function test, you must also check your SGPT (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase) and SGOT (Serum Glutamic-oxaloacetic Transaminase) levels through blood tests in order to ensure your results fall within the SGPT and SGOT normal range. 2
Read on to learn more about overall liver health and tackle elevated liver enzymes, SGPT SGOT normal range, and everything you need to know about how to improve liver function.
Rising Liver Issues in India
India has often been criticised for being in the clutches of various lifestyle disorders and diseases owing to its consumption patterns. Starting from diabetes to heart disease, lifestyle diseases have started to play a central role in the country's health landscape, and one cannot ignore the prevalence of liver conditions and diseases.
Liver diseases have constantly been on the rise over the past decade, with results ranging from mild to serious or fatal complications.
According to a medical survey, around 2 million deaths occur globally due to liver diseases, and it contributes to 4% of total deaths. 3Improper diet for liver health, alcoholism, lack of physical exercise, or even injuries can lead to elevated liver enzymes, marking a serious condition.
While lifestyle issues are a great contributor to liver diseases, another pressing issue includes the lack of timely diagnosis. Diseases like NAFLD and NASH have several stages with very limited or almost negligible warning signs at the initial stages. Hence, they are diagnosed only at an advanced stage, leading to irreversible conditions and increasing death rates.4
Hence, it is vital to focus more on improving liver function and undertake preventive measures to rule out the chances of liver diseases. Focusing on maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle are also some of the most crucial factors in ensuring better liver health.
Meaning of SGPT in Liver
SGPT stands for serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase. An SGPT test helps in detecting liver issues by measuring the secretion of an enzyme called alanine aminotransferase. The enzyme is found in the liver, skeletal muscles, kidneys, heart, and gall bladder and is mostly responsible for metabolising amino acids. This enzyme is generally released in higher quantities when the liver is damaged or inflammable. High SGPT symptoms may include cholecystitis, hepatitis, bleeding, bruising, and similar other complications. 5
Meaning of SGOT in Liver
SGOT stands for serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, which is also called AST (Aspartate aminotransferase). Generally, damaged liver cells lead to an excess secretion of SGOT, which in turn causes elevated liver enzymes. 6 High SGPT symptoms include yellowing of the skin/jaundice, fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling of your arms and legs, along with various other complications, and must be treated without delay.7
In case you are diagnosed with any of the above, remember there are various high SGOT and SGPT treatment options. Let's now understand the normal range of SGPT and SGOT, how to lower SGPT levels, and foods to lower SGPT and SGOT levels.
Higher SGOT Levels Could Indicate Hepatitis C
A high SGOT level is not the only criterion that indicates Hepatitis C. In fact, if your liver function test detects high SGOT levels, it indicates some kind of liver damage. However, it has often been detected that patients with higher SGOT levels are higher, mostly in patients suffering from Hepatitis C. 8
Normal Range for SGPT and SGOT
The SGPT and SGOT normal range is given below:9
- SGOT levels - 5 to 40 units per litre of serum
- SGPT levels - 7 to 56 units per litre of serum
If your tests indicate an SGOT level higher than 40 or an SGPT level higher than 56, it is indicative that you need high SGOT and SGPT treatment and should, therefore, contact a medical professional. Remember, high SGPT or SGOT symptoms might not be very visible initially, but any deviation from the SGPT SGOT normal range must be taken seriously in order to control the same.
Causes of Elevated SGPT and SGOT Levels
Tests indicating elevated liver enzymes mean some kind of liver damage or condition. If your SGPT and SGOT levels are higher than normal, these can be the following causes:
- Alcohol Abuse: Excess consumption of alcohol can cause several liver conditions whereby your liver tissues get scarred. Too much alcohol can also lead to cirrhosis of the liver—the final stage of the alcoholic liver. Hence, if you're wondering how to lower SGOT levels, giving up that glass of whiskey on the rocks is necessary.
- Fatty Liver: Fatty liver is a condition that occurs due to the deposition of excess fat in your liver tissues. They can be both alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic, and the condition can cause your SGPT and SGOT levels to rise.
- Hepatitis: Hepatitis is a condition that can cause inflammation in your liver. There are various kinds of hepatitis, including Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, autoimmune hepatitis, and viral Hepatitis D and Hepatitis E. Irrespective of its kind, you can expect your SGPT and SGOT levels to shoot up.
In most cases, people might not notice major symptoms in high SGPT and SGOT levels, and in some cases, they might experience mild symptoms. These include a constant feeling of fatigue and tiredness, nausea, and abdominal discomfort. In other serious cases, you might also experience abdominal swelling, jaundice, dark urine, or shortness of breath. If you notice any of these symptoms, it might mean elevated liver enzymes, indicating the need for high SGOT and SGPT treatment.
Ways to Control and Lower SGPT and SGOT Levels
There are many high SGOT and SGPT treatment options, but remember, you can bring down your levels by bringing about certain changes. Here are some ways to control your SGPT and SGOP levels.
- Avoid Alcohol: Want to know how to lower SGPT levels? While there are several lifestyle modifications that you must consider, avoiding alcohol consumption is one of the most important steps.10
- Quit Smoking: If your test results indicate higher SGPT and SGOT levels beyond the normal range, you must consider quitting smoking. Smoking increases both your SGPT and SGOT levels in your liver.
- Dietary Changes: While maintaining a healthy and well-balanced diet is important for your overall well-being, it also helps in balancing your SGOT and SGPT levels. You must include foods to lower SGPT and SGOT levels, like garlic, and foods rich in Vitamin D, like tofu, oranges, and leafy vegetables. Avoiding packaged foods and excess trans fat can also help you keep your SGPT and SGOT levels under check.
- Keep Your Weight Under Control: If you want to know how to lower SGOT levels, you must understand that they are deeply interconnected with your weight and, hence, avoid getting obese. People with obesity generally have a higher tendency to experience high SGPT symptoms. Hence, you must constantly check your calorie consumption and exercise regularly to keep your weight under check and stick to the SGPT SGOT normal range.
- Keep Track of Your Family History: Liver inflammations and high SGPT and SGOT levels can be hereditary. Hence, it is better to keep track of the same and get the required tests in order to rule out the chances of elevated liver enzymes.
Prevention Tips
Now that you already know how to improve liver function by undertaking certain lifestyle changes, there are several steps that you can take to prevent high SGPT and SGOT levels in the first place, apart from availing of high SGPT and SGOT treatment options. If you want to know how to improve liver health, being aware of the conditions that can cause SGPT and SGOT levels to go beyond the normal range, knowing the high SGPT symptoms and taking a test once you notice them immediately, and tracking your SGPT and SGOT levels regularly are some of the preventive measures.
When to Consult a doctor
It is advisable to consult a doctor the moment you notice high SGPT symptoms or your test results go beyond the SGPT SGOT normal range. While, on the one hand, it is true that high SGPT or SGOT symptoms are rarely detectable initially, the only way to be sure is by taking an SGPT or SGOT test. In fact, taking these tests regularly can help you keep them under check and avoid elevated liver enzymes.
Once you consult a doctor for any deviance from your SGPT-SGOT normal range, they might suggest a course of action along with medications and a diet for liver health in order to improve your liver function.
Conclusion
The liver in the human body performs approximately 500 functions, from digestion to absorption and boosting metabolism. It is one of the largest and most important organs in our body. Evidently, the liver is also a sensitive organ that might be affected by lifestyle issues, dietary habits, and much more.
But how to improve liver function? What are the markers of a well-functioning liver? One of them is your SGPT and SGOT levels. These enzymes indicate if you have any liver-related issues like an underlying disease, inflammation, or a serious condition. If your results are higher than the SGPT SGOT normal range, you must seek professional help.
While testing yourself and ensuring you fit into the SGPT SGOT normal range is one of the most important factors, you must also take several preventive measures in order to avoid elevated liver enzymes. For instance, there are foods to lower SGPT and SGOT. You must also exercise regularly, hydrate yourself, and eat a healthy and balanced diet to improve your liver function.
To sum up, one must remember that liver issues can be difficult to detect at the initial stage, and hence, undergoing several tests to check SGPT and SGOT levels, liver function tests, and others can help you keep a check on your liver's condition. After all, it's better to be careful than sorry!
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