A liver function test is a group of blood tests that physicians use to evaluate liver function. Some tests included in the liver function panel include albumin, ALP, AST, ALT, Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, prothrombin time, serum bilirubin, urine...
Liver function test refers to a group of tests that screen the blood for enzymes and proteins produced in the liver. By determining the level of these substances, this group of tests can determine the presence of liver disease or damage. An...
Tricor, known chemically as fenofibrate, decreases triglyceride levels in the blood and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or HDL-C. Elevated triglycerides clog your arteries and cause atherosclerosis, a leading cause of heart disease...
Consuming too many vitamins can cause vitamin toxicity, or hypervitaminosis. Vitamins absorbed from food rarely lead to toxicity, but taking too many supplemental vitamins can. While the body generally excretes excess water-soluble vitamins,...
Many diseases can affect the liver and cause it to function abnormally. When this occurs, a liver function test will reveal abnormal liver enzyme levels. Once the underlying cause of disturbed liver functioning is found, steps can be taken to help...
Tricor, manufactured by Abbott, is a member of the cholesterol-lowering class of drugs called the fibric acid derivatives. Its active ingredient is fenofibrate and it works by blocking the formation of triglycerides -- fat in the blood. Tricor...
Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant that is sometimes used to treat epilepsy. It also may be used to lessen symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia, a complication of shingles that affects your nerve fibers and skin and causes burning pain. It's been...
According to MedlinePlus, Protonix, also known as pantoprazole, belongs to a class of medications known as proton pump inhibitors. Protonix suppresses stomach acid secretion by inhibiting the hydrogen-potassium ATPase enzyme system located in the...
Increased levels of liver enzymes indicate inflammation, injury or damage to liver cells. The most commonly found elevated liver enzymes in blood tests are alanine transaminase, or ALT, and aspartate transaminase, or AST. In most cases, high...
Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, plays a key role in metabolism by assisting in the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for energy. Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are the two forms of niacin in the human body....
Medical professionals order liver function tests to evaluate overall liver health. With liver function tests, the laboratory measures the levels of certain proteins and chemicals in the blood. Abnormally high liver function test results may...
According to Drugs.com, Fenoglide (also known as fenobrite), is a medication used to help prevent your risk of developing atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries. It lowers your triglyceride levels, thus lowering your total cholesterol. Along with...
PABA is an acronym for para-aminobenzoic acid, made popular as the active ingredient in early sunscreen formulations. PABA is a naturally occurring substance that is sometimes referred to as vitamin Bx, but is not, according to the National...
Ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, or NSAID, medication sold both over-the-counter and via prescription in higher doses, is a commonly prescribed to reduce pain, fever and inflammation. People with arthritis and other medical conditions...
Mononucleosis, or mono, is caused by a virus. This infection is spread by saliva and close contact, thus acquiring the name, "the kissing disease." Mono can develop at any age group, but occurs most often in the ages of 15 to 17. The symptoms of...
Cipro is fluoroquinolones, which is a family of broad spectrum antibiotics. Other names for Cipro are Ciproxin and Ciprobay. Bayer Pharmaceuticals manufactures Cipro, which healthcare providers prescribe to treat urinary tract infections or...
HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, it is one of the many lipoproteins involved in the transport of cholesterol. HDL is sometimes called "good" cholesterol because it primarily removes cholesterol from the blood and sends it to the liver. Increasing...
Newborns who can't take oral feedings because of prematurity or illness may need parenteral feedings, meaning feedings through an intravenous infusion. Lipids infusions contain oils such as safflower or soybean oil or other fats that contain...
Chronic skin rashes such as nummular dermatitis, also called discoid or nummular eczema, cause discomfort and embarrassment. This skin condition, which produces coin-shaped lesions on the skin, affects around two in 1,000 people in the United...
The liver tirelessly carries out more than 500 functions in your body, including filtering the blood, cleansing the body of toxins, producing cholesterol and balancing blood cholesterol levels, synthesizing vitamin D and removing damaged red blood...
Quinine is a drug that is primarily used for the treatment of malaria and is found naturally in the bark of the cinchona tree. Its exact method of action is not well understood, but it seems to accumulate in the red blood cells that have been...
Fatty liver, which is an accumulation of triglycerides--a type of fat--inside the liver, occurs in a number of disease processes. Fatty liver disease that causes liver damage is divided into two types: alcoholic fatty liver, which occurs in people...
Hemochromatosis is a condition characterized by high iron in the blood. Excessive iron can be dangerous and damage organs. Hemochromatosis cannot be cured and requires lifelong dietary measures, along with regular blood treatments, to reduce the...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, is a bacterial infection that resists certain antibiotics of the penicillin and cephalosporin class that would normally be used for a staph infection, according to the "New York...
Niacin, also known as vitamin B-3, occurs in several different forms that have different names, just to confuse the issue. Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, niacinamide, also called nicotinamide and inositol hexanicotinate, also called...
There are two types of fatty liver disease, or steatosis: alcohol-induced and nonalcoholic. Both conditions may result in elevated levels of normal liver enzymes in your blood. If your doctor notices high liver enzyme levels, he may investigate...
Vitamin B-12 has a special relationship with the liver. Unlike the other B vitamins that dissolve in water and leave your body through urine, the liver stores vitamin B-12. Some evidence suggests a lack of vitamin B-12 causes liver disease,...
5-Hour Energy is a 2-oz. liquid "energy shot," as advertised by manufacturer Living Essentials. It contains caffeine along with four B vitamins, three amino acids and the nutrients malic acid, glucuronolactone and citicoline. The product is...
Protonix is a drug used to treat the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or other conditions that cause erosion to the esophagus because of stomach acid. It is indicated for short-term use (up to eight weeks) in adults or pediatric...
The bile duct is a long tube-like structure that connects the liver to the intestine and transports bile. Learn about bile duct cancer including possible causes, and treatment options for bile duct cancer in this video.
