Table of Contents
When should I be concerned about high 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.
What can cause a sudden increase in liver enzymes?
Common causes for elevated liver enzymes include:
- Certain medications, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) and acetaminophen.
- Fatty liver disease, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic.
- Hemochromatosis.
- Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcoholic hepatitis and autoimmune hepatitis.
What is the most common cause of high liver enzymes?
The most common cause of elevated liver enzymes is fatty liver disease. Research suggests that 25–51\% of people with elevated liver enzymes have this condition. Other health conditions that typically cause elevated liver enzymes include: metabolic syndrome.
Can AST and ALT levels fluctuate?
At age 60, AST and ALT activities become roughly equal. AST levels are about 15\% higher in Africans than Caucasian men. Obese men may have mildly elevated AST levels. AST levels can fluctuate between 5 and 10\% from one day to the next in the same individual.
What does it mean when your alt and AST are high?
Liver cirrhosis also elevates ALT and AST levels, as does organ damage from alcohol, or a diminished flow of blood from the heart to the liver for some reason. Lower than normal test results for ALT and AST are generally treated as a “normal” result.
How do you find the ratio of AST and Alt?
Here’s an easy way to find out your AST:ALT ratio: divide your AST level as shown on your blood test results by your ALT level. For example, if your AST is 20 U/L and your ALT is 18 U/L, then your ALT ratio would be 1.05, which is within the normal range. What is the magnitude of AST and ALT elevations for acute viral hepatitis?
What are normal levels of AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT)?
Thus, it serves as a fairly specific indicator of liver status. What are normal levels of AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT)? The normal range of values for AST (SGOT) is about 5 to 40 units per liter of serum (the liquid part of the blood). The normal range of values for ALT (SGPT) is about 7 to 56 units per liter of serum.
What can cause a positive CKMB test?
Chronic muscle diseases, alcohol abuse, or low levels of thyroid hormones have also been known to cause positive test results. Exercise and contact sports are known to create moderately high levels of CKMB.