Liver function blood tests check for liver disease or damage such as cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or hepatitis. A doctor may also use the tests to monitor how the liver responds to treatment. Some liver function blood tests help diagnose other...
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...
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...
When your body stores too much iron, your liver may be affected and release certain enzymes into your bloodstream. Your health-care provider may wish to test your blood for any or all of several liver enzymes or for various indicators of your iron...
Testing levels of various substances in the blood can provide information about how the liver is functioning and whether it is currently sustaining damage. These blood tests are collectively referred to as liver function tests, or LFTs. LFTs can...
The liver is a reddish-brown organ that is in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity. The liver's functions include the production of bile, which removes waste and aids in the digestion of fat in the small intestine; regulation of blood...
Tests that evaluate liver function include several enzymes found in the heart, skeletal muscle and red blood cells in addition to the liver. The greatest concentration of alanine aminotransferase, sometimes called ALT or sometimes SGPT and...
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...
Elevated liver enzymes are the result of inflamed or injured liver cells, which may indicate a temporary condition or a chronic disorder. The most common liver enzymes on blood tests are ALT, or alanine transaminase, and AST, or aspartate...
The liver is a vital organ of the human body and is essential for survival. It is located on the right side of the body near the abdomen. The liver breaks down fat in the bloodstream, converts glucose to glycogen, helps produce urea for generating...
Niacin is a form of vitamin B3 that is naturally available in certain foods such as meat, fish, milk, beans, yeast and green vegetables. Niacin is often used for the treatment of high cholesterol, migraine, and circulation problems. It can help...
If you have been experiencing abnormal sensation, weakness or mental problems, you may have a vitamin B12 deficiency. Specifically, Medline Plus, of the National Institutes of Health, states that such a deficiency may cause a disorder termed...
Topical ointments are the most common treatment for ringworm. You can choose from the anti-fungal creams Monistat, Mycelex, Nizoral and Lamisil, among others. Apply your cream of choice to the affected area twice daily for about 3 weeks. If the...
Fatty liver disease -- in which your liver accumulates excessive deposits of fat -- may be reaching epidemic proportions, according to the Veterans Health Administration. As many as one in every five Americans, and a much higher percentage of...
While milk thistle is generally considered to be among the less risky supplements, it is still an herbal supplement that affects how your body works and, potentially, how it handles other medications. Those who decide to take milk thistle often do...
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...
Kava, known botanically as Piper methysticum, is a plant consumed for its sedative and anti-anxiety properties. The active component in kava are called kavalctones. The root of the plant is ground and prepared for traditional drinks and prepared...
Orange urine and elevated liver function blood tests are caused by a number of liver diseases. Urine that appears orange or darker than normal occurs in people with jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes. Jaundice comes from bilirubin, a...
Many people infected with hepatitis C don't know they have this often chronic, blood-borne, lifelong viral infection that affects about 4.1 million Americans, according to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders....
According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors can assess the health of an individual's liver by performing a liver function panel. A liver function panel is a series of blood tests that measures the levels of enzymes and proteins in the blood. These blood...
According to the Mayo Clinic, liver function tests are blood tests that doctors use to determine whether a patient has a damaged or diseased liver. Some of the tests assay the blood levels of certain enzymes that the liver secretes into the blood...
High cholesterol is a major controllable risk factor for heart disease and stroke. According to the American Heart Association, or AHA, each year approximately half a million people die of heart disease in the U.S., making it the number-one killer...
Bismuth is like a lot of other poisons such as mercury and arsenic in that it is an element. That makes it tricky to treat because you can't break it down into a safer form. It usually enters the body through bismuth chelate, which is used to...
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 liver is the largest internal organ in your body. It performs many essential functions, including storage of digested nutrients; production of important blood proteins such as albumin and clotting factors; removal of toxic compounds, drugs...
Strain or injury incurred during a workout is not the only possible cause of muscle pain in your extremities. Medical issues can bring about muscle pain without strenuous exercise. These conditions range from minor discomfort to possibly life...
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...
When fat cells replace normal tissue in the liver, your doctor may diagnosis fatty liver. Fatty liver disease is divided into two types: alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Nonalcoholic fatty liver affects 20 to 30 percent of American adults, according to...
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that is treated with a variety of medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or DMARDs. Many of these medications can cause...