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...
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...
An elevation of the liver enzymes indicates damage or inflammation to the cells in the liver. These enzymes are normally found inside the liver cells, but when the liver is damaged, the enzymes leak out into the blood stream, where they can be...
An enzyme test performed to determine liver injury or damage is the serum alanine aminotransferase, also called ALT. The ALT enzyme is released into the bloodstream in response to cellular level damage resulting from liver disease or injury from...
The liver is an important organ in the body, in charge of detoxifying the blood from medicines, chemicals and other substances, among other duties. Located in the right upper portion of the abdomen, right below the rib cage, it's one of the...
Hepatitis is the term used to indicate liver inflammation. Children with hepatitis often have other symptoms, such as pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, where the liver is located, and jaundice, a yellowish discoloration the skin....
High liver levels, or elevated liver enzymes, indicate damage or inflammation to liver cells, says MayoClinic.com. The most common liver enzymes are alanine transaminase, or ALT, and aspartate transaminase, or AST. These enzymes, the most reliable...
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 one of the most important organs in the body, as it helps detoxify the blood of noxious chemicals and substances. It also serves as a reservoir for glucose, the main sugar used for the body's various energy needs. Inside the liver...
Neutropenia is a medical term that refers to a decrease in the number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that helps the body defend itself against bacterial infections. An elevation of the liver enzymes usually signals damage to the liver,...
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a liver disease that occurs in people who do not drink alcohol. NASH causes high amounts of fat to accumulate in the liver and makes it appear swollen and inflamed. In...
Grapefruit chemicals disrupt the enzymes in the small intestine that break down many medications for absorption, including Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering medication. The disruption in metabolism causes excess medication to build-up in your body,...
The liver is a complex organ that carries out many important functions in babies. Located in the right upper part of the abdomen, the liver helps detoxify the body from noxious drugs and substances. It also stores vitamins and minerals, produces...
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...
Lithium carbonate, more commonly just called lithium, is a medication used to treat bipolar disorder. The older term for bipolar disorder is manic-depressive illness. Lithium decreases both the frequency and the intensity of the manic phase of the...
Liver enzymes are proteins within the liver cells that help that organ carry out many of its metabolic functions. An elevation of the liver enzymes indicates damage or inflammation of the liver. When this happens, a person may experience many...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Numerous factors can cause a sudden elevation in liver enzymes. According to MayoClinic.com, elevated liver enzymes -- usually alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase -- may be detected during liver function tests. In most individuals,...
