A Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, or CMP, is a group of 12 to 20 blood tests used to screen for a wide variety of medical disorders. The presence or absence of liver, kidney or other diseases may be determined based on the pattern of results....
AST stands for aspartate aminotransferase. This enzyme is found primarily in the liver, as well as the kidneys, cardiac and skeletal muscle. According to the FamilyPracticeNotebook.com, AST is also called serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase or...
Liver function tests, also known as liver panels, are blood tests that examine levels of proteins and enzymes. They are usually used to determine if a disease is present or to manage the treatment of patients with known liver diseases. The tests...
Physicians use liver function tests to measure how well the liver is functioning as well as to indicate the presence of a disease and manage liver diseases. MayoClinic.com notes that some of the things liver function tests look at include proteins...
Once a sample of blood is drawn from a vein, the physician can order several laboratory tests, including the liver enzymes function test. An increase in liver enzymes in the bloodstream can indicate injured liver cells. The amount of increase...
Muscle function at the cellular level relies on biochemical reactions, and these reactions in turn rely on proteins called enzymes in order to proceed rapidly and efficiently. Because exercise results in some degree of muscle breakdown, enzymes...
When you suffer a heart attack, medically termed a myocardial infarction, damage occurs to certain parts of your heart muscle, weakening its ability to pump. Damaged muscle allows enzymes to leak from the muscle into your bloodstream. Testing your...
Tylenol, generically named acetaminophen, is a common over-the-counter medication used to lower fevers and treat all sorts of body pain. For example, it can treat the pain from toothaches, headaches and arthritis, according to Drugs.com. Before...
Diflucan, generically sold as fluconazole, is used to treat fungal infections of the mouth, throat, blood, genitals, lungs or bladder. According to Drugs.com, inform your doctor if you suffer from heart, liver or kidney problems as these can...
The liver protects your body from harmful substances that enter your body through ingestion, breathing or absorption through your skin. Your liver acts as a filtration system to expunge toxins while simultaneously storing important nutrients...
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when there is a buildup of extra fat in liver cells that is not caused by alcohol consumption. It is a disease spectrum that includes hepatic steatosis -- also called nonalcoholic fatty liver -- nonalcoholic...
The skeletal muscle and other specialized muscle tissues, namely smooth and cardiac, contain various protein-based substances that help the muscle fibers function at the cellular level. These protein-based substances, also known as enzymes,...
A variety of liver enzymes assist in diagnosis of alcohol addiction including, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), the most sensitive and widely employed marker, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Elevated levels of...
Zetia (ezetimibe) is a medication prescribed for people with high cholesterol levels. Zetia works in the digestive system to prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol from food. If your doctor prescribes Zetia, talk with her about any other...
Rejection of a liver after transplant occurs because the recipient's cells recognize the donor's cells as foreign and attack the new liver. Immunosuppressant medications are given after transplant to keep the immune system from attacking the new...
Elevation of liver enzymes is common, occurring in one to four percent of asymptomatic people, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. The two main liver enzymes, alanine aminotransferase, or ALT, and aspartate aminotransferase,...
Spending on medication in the United States rose 4.9 percent to $227.5 billion in 2009, according to "Formulary: Policy Watch." The rise in drug costs reflects the use of many nongeneric drugs. Brand-name drugs cost more than generic drugs and...
Four primary liver enzymes can be elevated in the bloodstream, indicating possible damage to the liver. These include the transaminases AST and ALT, also known as aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, respectively and the...
Hepatitis C can increase your liver enzymes and cause damage to your liver. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3.2 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C infection. Educate yourself about the liver...
The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ part of the digestive system. Located near the liver, it stores a chemical compound called bile, which aids in the digestion of fat molecules. Bile compounds can sometimes harden into deposits called...
The most commonly used indicators of healthy liver function include the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, or AST, and alanine aminotransferase, or ALT. When liver injury occurs, these enzymes flood the bloodstream. Blood tests that show high...
Asacol treats an inflammatory chronic condition called ulcerative colitis. Asacol relieves the inflammatory process that occurs in the colon and rectum with ulcerative colitis and can lead to remission. Ulcerative colitis complications cause...
Liver enzymes are proteins inside your liver cells. The enzymes help your liver perform its functions, which include getting rid of toxins, processing medicines, storing and releasing sugars, and storing vitamins and minerals. Liver enzymes can...
Almost 27,000 Americans die from liver diseases each year, reports New York Presbyterian Hospital. Diseases affecting the liver range from hepatitis to cirrhosis. One key indicator of liver disease is an elevated level of alanine aminotransferase,...
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, your health care provider might ask you to have blood tests often referred to in aggregate as liver function tests, or LFTs. Normally, liver enzymes or proteins are only present in your...
Patients who suffer from depression and other mood disorders are often prescribed medications from the drug class known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. Lexapro is an SSRI that is commonly prescribed for depression and other...
A liver function test is a blood test used to determine any disease, damage or impact on the liver. The health of the hepatic, or liver, system is reflected in this panel of tests that include clotting abilities, liver enzymes and bilirubin...
Tracleer (bosentan) is a medication used to manage pulmonary (of the lungs) arterial hypertension (high blood pressure). Signs of pulmonary arterial hypertension include chest pain, fatigue and weakness. According to MedlinePlus, Tracleer is an...
Xyzal (levocetirizine) is a medication used to treat allergy symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and itchy or water eyes. According to MedlinePlus, Xyzal is an antihistamine medication that interferes with the histamine (natural substances...
