The liver is one of the largest and most important organs in the body, in charge of detoxifying the body of noxious substances, and of processing ingested food into energy for use by other organs. The liver contains a number of enzymes to aid in...
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...
What you eat is fundamental to the health of your organs, including the liver. According to the American Liver Foundation, one in 10 people are affected by liver disease in America, and these numbers are on the rise. As more people are diagnosed...
You may experience numbness and tingling in your hands and arms from time to time, due to a temporary injury or when circulation is briefly interrupted, leading to a "pins and needles" feeling. However, if you experience a tingling that persists,...
Your liver is a metabolically active organ that detoxifies the foods you eat, breaks down and recycles aging red blood cells, processes glucose and manufactures cholesterol, hormones, clotting proteins and other important molecules. To perform its...
The liver is located in the right, upper quadrant of the abdomen and is responsible for metabolizing foods and medications, hormone production, food digestion and cholesterol metabolism. Liver damage or acute liver failure may occur and cause and...
Liver enzyme blood tests are often performed as part of a more comprehensive test called a liver function test. The reason for this is because liver enzyme results only tell part of the story related to liver health and condition. Liver enzyme...
Elevated liver enzymes, according to the Mayo Clinic, can indicate a problem with inflammation or cellular damage in the liver. When the liver is damaged or inflamed, cells will emit a higher amount of certain chemicals, including liver enzymes,...
Azithromycin is an antibiotic sometimes prescribed for certain bacterial infections, including respiratory infections and certain sexually transmitted diseases. Although a small study of 20 subjects published in 1993 in the "Journal of...
Elevated liver enzymes usually are not a life-threatening condition, but high ALT and AST do warrant prompt medical attention. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis caused more than 39,000 deaths in the United States in 2005, according to the...
The liver is the largest internal organ in your body and carries out numerous functions, including balancing blood sugar and cholesterol levels, recycling red blood cell products, producing digestive enzymes, filtering drugs and toxins and...
Your largest internal organ, your liver, plays an essential role in your health. Liver functioning helps maintain your metabolism, allows your body to dispose of toxins and helps maintain you hormone balance. Elevated liver enzymes -- the presence...
Your liver, one of the largest organs in your body, stores energy and nutrients, makes proteins and enzymes, breaks down and removes harmful substances and produces cholesterol. Doctors monitor liver function by determining the level of three...
The liver filters the blood to remove waste, process drugs, store blood sugar, regulate clotting and produce proteins that act as enzymes -- substances that initiate reactions in the body. Liver damage caused by inflammation, infection or blockage...
Fatty liver, or an excess of fat buildup in the liver, can cause inflammation which can result in cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the hardening of the liver and leads to liver failure. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, fatty liver...
The liver--an organ found under the diaphragm and on top of the stomach, right kidney and intestines--is known to be responsible for more than 500 vital functions in the human body. Two of the most well-known functions of the liver are processing...
Tylenol, or acetaminophen, is one of the most commonly used over-the-counter medicines. It is used as an anti-inflammatory, as a pain reliever and as a fever reducer. Despite being over-the-counter, taking too much Tylenol can have serious...
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...
Millions of Americans use prescription medications to lower cholesterol. Some of the most common cholesterol-lowering medications used belong to a drug group know as statins. Although often effective, statin medications can have unwanted effects...
The liver is a football-sized organ in the abdomen responsible for processing nutrients and waste products from the blood. Alanine aminotransferase, or ALT, is an enzyme the liver releases in response to damage or disease. ALT is measured on...
Liver function tests (LFT) are blood tests that measure enzyme and protein levels in your blood. Abnormal results on LFT indicate that there's a problem affecting your liver, a situation that warrants further investigation. Liver function is...
The liver has a pivotal role in many body functions including digestion, metabolism, detoxification, cholesterol synthesis and blood clotting. Liver enzymes are proteins that help to speed up reactions, and elevated levels may be a sign of damage...
Liver tests indicate overall liver function and may point to liver disease and damage. Tests checking liver function include liver enzymes alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), albumin, ammonia, bilirubin, and prothrombin...
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes that biliary cholesterol is responsible for 80 percent of gallstones. Gallstones may cause cholecystitis or inflammation of the gallbladder which can result in severe...
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...
Elevated liver enzymes may indicate liver damage or inflammation. Liver injury results in the leakage of enzymes called aminotransferases, which include alanine aminotransferase, or ALT, and aspartate aminotransferase, or AST. These enzymes are...
If your doctor says you have high enzymes, he is referring to an elevated liver enzyme level. High enzymes in your liver indicate damage to the cells or inflammation in your liver. Inflamed liver cells leak higher-than-normal amounts of liver...
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...
Abdominal pain, felt anywhere between the chest and groin, affects almost everyone at some point in their lives. Your abdominal region contains many different organs, including the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, kidneys, appendix and spleen, making...
