Table of Contents
What should I do if my ALT and AST is high?
Natural ways to lower ALT levels
- Drinking coffee. Drinking coffee can help to lower ALT levels.
- Exercising regularly.
- Losing excess weight.
- Increasing folic acid intake.
- Making dietary changes.
- Reducing high cholesterol.
- Taking care with medications or supplements.
- Avoiding alcohol, smoking, and environmental toxins.
What does it mean if both AST and ALT are high?
If you have high levels of AST and/or ALT, it may mean that you have some type of liver damage. You may also have an AST test part of a series of liver function tests. In addition to AST and ALT, liver function tests measure other enzymes, proteins, and substances in the liver.
Does high AST and ALT mean liver damage?
When the liver is damaged, ALT is released into the bloodstream and levels increase. Aspartate transaminase (AST). AST is an enzyme that helps metabolize amino acids. Like ALT, AST is normally present in blood at low levels. An increase in AST levels may indicate liver damage, disease or muscle damage.
How long does it take for ALT and AST levels to return to normal?
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.
When should I worry about AST and ALT?
An AST/ALT ratio higher than one (where the AST is higher than ALT) means you may have cirrhosis. An AST/ALT ratio higher than 2:1 (where the AST is more than twice as high as the ALT) is a sign of alcoholic liver disease.
When should I worry about Alt?
When ALT levels are very high, it may be a sign of an acute liver problem. Mild or moderate elevation, especially if it persists on several tests over time, can be an indicator of a chronic disease. However, the degree of elevation alone is not a reliable predictor of the extent of injury to the liver.
What AST and ALT levels indicate liver disease?
The AST is typically in the 100 to 200 IU/L range, even in severe disease, and the ALT level may be normal, even in severe cases. The AST level is higher than the ALT level, and the ratio is greater than 2:1 in 70\% of patients. A ratio greater than 3 is strongly indicative of alcoholic hepatitis.
What level of AST indicates liver damage?
What causes elevated AST and Alt values?
The most common diseases causing abnormally elevated ALT and AST are acute viral hepatitis, such as hemochromatosis (a genetic condition causing long standing liver damage due to iron build up in the liver), and diminished blood flow to the liver (from shock or heart failure).
How to lower AST and ALT levels naturally?
Consume more folate or take folic acid. Consuming more folate-rich foods and adding a folic acid supplement to your diet are both linked to lower ALT levels. While the terms folate and folic acid are often used interchangeably, they’re aren’t quite the same.
What are dangerous Alt and AST levels?
Generally, AST or ALT of 230 is not dangerous over the short term, but it is important to find out what is going on. It is important to be sure you don’t have hepatitis C, and occasionally, a second test may be a good idea.
What can raise AST ALT?
However, avoid strenuous exercise prior to an enzyme blood test, as it will artificially raise your ALT/AST count. . Many antibiotics, cholesterol-reducing drugs, pain relief pills, anti-seizure medicine and cardiovascular drugs can cause elevated AST and ALT levels. Talk to your physician or pharmacist about other options.