My liver function is high, what could that mean?

Answer 1

If you are talking about your blood lab tests,
this could mean different things.
There are two different types of tests they
do to check the liver...one is known as
the liver enzymes and the other one is known
as liver function tests.
The liver enzymes(Alt,AST, and Alkaline
Phosphatase) will show if there may be
damage to the liver cells or the biliary area
where bile flows through tube like structures
from the inside of the liver out to these tubes
to go to the gallbladder or to the intestines.

The other Liver function tests
(Bilirubin, Albumin, INR) shows how well
the liver is functioning doing the job it does
to keep the body healthy.

http://www.labtestsonline.org
This is a site where you can look up the
tests I mentioned above and find out what
they mean when the result are high or lower
than they are suppose to be.

However, when these tests are high and
since you mentioned the liver and not other
parts of your body...it could mean a number
of different things:
In some people, they have a normal of being
higher than other people, so you have to
take that into consideration first.
The second thing is that you may have an
infection or inflammation of the liver cells.
This can be taken care of with medication and
the liver can heal. It may mean you might
have Hepatitis...in which case it will take more
time to stay on medication to get rid of it.
Hepatitis is caused by different things like
a virus, or coming in contact with feces, blood, etc.

Inflammation of the liver cells can be treated
like I mentioned above, but death of the liver
cells cannot...this is known as cirrhosis.
The death of the cells can be slowed down
from advancing through the liver, but it cannot,
as yet, be stopped completely and will
eventually required a liver transplant.

This link explains more about hepatitis and
you can click where it says "cirrhosis" to learn
about that.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitis.html

There are some things that I can suggest and
I have no way of knowing if they may apply
in your case: 1] Don't drink alcohol,2] let your
doctor know all medication you are taking...
whether they be over the counter, herbs, or
prescriptions...cause certain medication can
cause liver problems.3] find out your family
history as some liver problems can be
hereditary..4] don't use over the counter
meds or any other meds unless your doctor
tell you to...they are finding out that tylenol
is dangerous for the liver and if it is taken
with alcohol it could lead to permanent liver
damage. 5] If you are talking about the
liver enzymes and not the liver function tests...
the ALT test is the best indicator that there
is a problem with the liver since the liver
produces this...the AST is mostly used as
a back up test since it is not done to indicate
only the liver but problems in other organs
like the heart and muscles.

I would talk this over with your doctor and
not be upset until you speak with him... he
has your complete medical history and can
see what tests you are speaking about.
This may be something very minor or it may
not be. The information above is just to
help you understand better what it could be.

I hope you make out fine and they find it is
something that can be generally treated and
you will be well again.

Answer 2

If your talking about your liver enzymes it can mean many things. Sometimes its nothing. But other times it could be diabetes in some cases or Fatty Liver Infiltrate. It's just when fat builds up on your liver. An ultrasound would confirm that and you would simply need to lose some weight but I don't know your medical history so it could be one of many other things. Those are just 2 off the top of my head.

Answer 3

Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs), which include liver enzymes, are groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give information about the state of a patient's liver. Most liver diseases cause only mild symptoms initially, while it is vital that these diseases be detected early. Hepatic involvement in some diseases can be of crucial importance. This testing is performed by a medical technologist on a patient's serum or plasma sample obtained by phlebotomy.

Answer 4

Yes you can eat and exercise your way to health in a safe moderate but steady way and sometimes the liver can get better. I imagine that they will suggest some changes along those lines. I highly recommend The Zone" book ...you can learn all about it for about ten bucks in a little pocketbook. It is all about eating fresh natural and filling foods that help your body stay younger and healthy. Cheers!

Answer 5

this could mean many things. One of them could be severe inflammation throughout the body. Ask your medical doctor exactly what this means . That's the only way you're really going to know.

Answer 6

it could mean that your fasting lab tests weren't really fasting ones. the numbers mean nothing without more info. talk to your doctor.