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The Significance of Liver Function Test

Liver function testing is a type of blood test which measures specific proteins and enzymes in your blood to help detect and monitor liver damage or disease. There are various facets of the tests, all of which help your doctor to evaluate the health of your liver.

  1. Significance

    • Early detection of liver disease is crucial in preventing long-term damage. Because the liver is able to heal itself, catching disease in the early stages gives you the best possible prognosis.

    Why They Are Ordered

    • Your doctor may order liver function tests to screen for liver virus such as hepatitis, monitor the progression of liver disease such as alcoholic hepatitis and evaluate the effectiveness of your treatments. These tests can also indicate the severity of any existing liver disease.

    Regular Monitoring

    • If you are taking certain prescription medications (such as statin drugs to lower your cholesterol), your doctor will want to regularly monitor your liver function to ensure that your medication is not creating liver problems.

    What The Test Measures

    • The test measures specific enzymes such as alanine transminase, aspartate transminase and alkaline phosphatase, abnormal levels of which indicate liver problems. It also measures albumin (a type of protein manufactures in the liver), total protein levels and levels of bilirubin (a substance which aids in digestion).

    Symptoms of Liver Damage

    • Symptoms of possible liver damage include yellowed skin or eyes, darkly colored urine, vomiting, nausea, low-grade fever and abdominal swelling.

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