what does elevated alt and ast mean
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Elevated transaminases Elevated transaminases. In medicine, the presence of elevated transaminases, commonly the transaminases alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), may be an indicator of liver damage. Other terms employed include transaminasemia and transaminitis, although some sources consider the latter pathologically meaningless.
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Elevated Liver Enzymes: Causes, Signs & Symptoms Damage to the liver cells causes ALT and AST to leak into the bloodstream. Normal levels of ALT range from 7 units to 56 units per liter, while normal levels of AST range from 5 units to 40 U/L, according to the Lab Tests Online website. Several types of liver disease cause elevated liver enzymes.
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- What Abnormal Results Mean. An increased AST level is usually a sign of liver disease. Liver disease is even more likely when the levels of substances checked by other liver blood tests have also increased. Pregnancy and exercise may also cause an increased AST level.
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Liver Test Interpretation - Approach to the Patient with Liver Disease: A Guide to Commonly Used Liver Tests Serum aminotransferase levels—ALT and AST—are two of the most useful measures of liver cell injury, although the AST is less liver specific than is ALT level. Elevations of the AST level may also be seen in acute injury to cardiac or skeletal muscle. Lesser degrees of ALT level elevation may occasionally be seen in skeletal muscle injury or even after vigorous exercise. Thus in clinical practice, it is not uncommon to see elevations of AST, ALT or both in common non-hepatic conditions such as myocardial infarction and rhabdomyolysis.
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Liver Blood Tests (Normal, Low, and High Ranges & Results) AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) are reasonably sensitive indicators of liver damage or injury from different types of diseases or conditions, and collectively they are termed liver tests or liver blood tests.
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- The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) test is typically used to detect liver injury. It is often ordered in conjunction with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) as part of a liver panel or comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) to screen for and/or help diagnose liver disease. ALT is an enzyme found mostly in the cells of the liver and kidney. When the liver is damaged, ALT is released into the blood.
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Useful For Interpretation Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results. Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values are seen in parenchymal liver diseases characterized by a destruction of hepatocytes. Values are typically at least ten times above the normal range.
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Liver function tests The ratio of AST to ALT can be useful in differentiating between the causes of liver damage. Elevated AST levels are not 'specific' for liver damage because it can also be used as a cardiac marker. Normal Adult Range: 5 - 40 IU/L. [ back to top ] ALT (Alanine Transaminase) also called SGPT (Serum Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase) or or ALAT (Alanine Aminotransferase) is an enzyme present in hepatocytes (liver cells). Decreased ALT in combination with increased cholesterol levels is seen in cases of a congested liver.
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- What conditions other than liver problems can cause increased ALT? ALT is more specific for the liver than AST and so is much less affected by conditions affecting other parts of the body. Nevertheless, injury to organs other than the liver, such as the heart and skeletal muscle, can cause elevations of ALT. For example, small increases may be seen with skeletal muscle damage or heart attacks.
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Glossary of Terms Alanine Transaminase (ALT) is an enzyme mainly found in your liver. The ALT test measures the level of ALT in your blood. Consistently high levels of ALT in your blood can be a sign of liver damage. Aspartate Transaminase (AST) is an enzyme found in large amounts in your liver and other parts of your body.iver function tests help your doctor check your liver’s health and detect liver damage. These blood tests measure the levels of certain proteins and enzymes in your blood.
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The AST/ALT Story Normally, levels of AST in the blood are low. Very high levels of AST (more than 10 times normal) are usually due to acute hepatitis, sometimes due to a viral infection. With acute hepatitis, AST levels usually stay high for about 1-2 months but can take as long as 3-6 months to return to normal.
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AST Levels Liver Disease. When elevated AST indicates damage to the liver, this damage can come from a variety of different causes, both in the sense of indicating various liver diseases and also in the sense of the diseases being due to various causes.
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What does AST on a blood test mean? AST stands for aspartate transaminase. It is an enzyme found in various cells, including liver cells, and elevated levels may indicate liver damage, but must be interpreted in the context of other liver tests, as it is not only found in liver cells, but other cell types as well.t is an enzyme found in various cells, including liver cells, and elevated levels may indicate liver damage, but must be interpreted in the context of other liver tests, as it is not only found in liver cells, but other cell types as well.
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ALT Increased levels of ALT often means that liver disease is present. Liver disease is even more likely when levels of other liver blood tests are also increased. An increase in ALT levels may be due to: Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
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- ALT (alanine aminotransferase): An enzyme normally present in liver and heart cells that is released into the bloodstream when the liver or heart is damaged. The blood ALT levels are elevated with liver damage (for example, from viral hepatitis) or with an insult to the heart (for example, from a heart attack). Some medications can also raise ALT levels. ALT is also called serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT).
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- An aspartate aminotransferase (AST) test measures the amount of this enzyme in the blood. AST is normally found in red blood cells, liver, heart, muscle tissue, pancreas, and kidneys. AST formerly was called serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT).he amount of AST in the blood is directly related to the extent of the tissue damage. After severe damage, AST levels rise in 6 to 10 hours and remain high for about 4 days. The AST test may be done at the same time as a test for alanine aminotransferase, or ALT.
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What Does ALT (SGPT) Mean in a Blood Test? The ALT test checks the level of alanine aminotransferase in the blood to see if the liver is healthy. Elevated levels of the enzyme could indicate damage caused by trauma or a disease process, such as cirrhosis or a strain of hepatitis, as stated by WebMD. Continue Reading.
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AST/ALT ratio The AST/ALT ratio is the ratio between the concentrations of the enzymes aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in the blood of a human or animal. It is measured with a blood test and is sometimes useful in medical diagnosis to differentiate between causes of liver damage, or hepatotoxicity.
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The AST/ALT Story Very high levels of AST (more than 10 times the highest normal level) are usually due to acute hepatitis, often due to a virus infection. In acute hepatitis, AST levels usually stay high for about 1–2 months but can take as long as 3–6 months to return to normal.he ratio is less useful in scenarios where the liver enzymes are not elevated, or where multiple conditions co-exist.In most types of liver disease, the ALT level is higher than AST and the AST/ALT ratio is a value less than 1.0.
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The AST/ALT Story AST may also increase after heart attacks and with muscle injury, usually to a much greater degree than ALT. AST is often performed together with the ALT test or as part of a liver panel. For more about AST results in relation to other liver tests, see the Liver Panel article.
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Using Liver Enzymes AST and ALT to Diagnose Liver Damage and Disease What Are Normal AST and ALT Levels? The normal levels of AST and ALT vary from person to person and depend on your ​body mass index (BMI), or the ratio of your height and weight. A small amount of AST and ALT is normally in your blood, so it's really a large increase over your normal level that indicates a problem.
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AST/ALT ratio The AST/ALT ratio is the ratio between the concentrations of the enzymes aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in the blood of a human or animal. It is measured with a blood test and is sometimes useful in medical diagnosis to differentiate between causes of liver damage, or hepatotoxicity.he AST/ALT ratio is the ratio between the concentrations of the enzymes aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in the blood of a human or animal. It is measured with a blood test and is sometimes useful in medical diagnosis to differentiate between causes of liver damage, or hepatotoxicity.
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The AST/ALT Story ^ Back to top. Normally, levels of ALT in the blood are low. Very high levels of ALT (more than 10 times normal) are usually due to acute hepatitis, sometimes due to a viral infection. In acute hepatitis, ALT levels usually stay high for about 1-2 months but can take as long as 3-6 months to return to normal.ST and ALT are considered to be two of the most important tests to detect liver injury, although ALT is more specific to the liver than is AST. Sometimes AST is compared directly to ALT and an AST/ALT ratio is calculated.
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- Quick Answer. Low levels of ALT and AST are commonly found in adult blood tests and are normal for most people. These lower levels are good because they indicate that the liver, heart, pancreas and kidneys are functioning properly and releasing small amounts of the enzymes.
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- High ALT/AST: These are liver enzymes that are elevated in various conditions such as viral hepatitis, drug toxicity, inherited conditions, and even cancer. You should see your doctor to find out the cause. However, the most common cause may be fatty liver: http://www.Laendo.Net/english/fatty-liver-75894941.