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Reasons for a Liver Enzyme Elevation

The liver, the largest organ in the body, has multiple important jobs that help the body function properly. The liver's different jobs include turning food into energy and removing alcohol and toxins from the bloodstream. Bile, made in the liver, assists the digestion process. A liver enzyme elevation indicates that a person suffers from liver disease. Doctors perform routine laboratory blood tests to determine if a patient's liver enzymes are out of balance.

  1. Fatty Liver

    • One of the reasons for a liver enzyme elevation is fatty liver disease. The American Liver Foundation says that fatty liver disease occurs because of an excess amount of fat in liver cells, causing liver inflammation. People who are overweight or suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes often have fatty livers. Doctors diagnose fatty livers by performing routine blood tests and doing ultrasounds or an MRI to check the condition of the liver.

    Herbal Toxicity

    • Herbal remedies have become popular as natural cures for health conditions, either as an alternative to Western medicine or in conjunction to standard medical treatments. However, herbal toxicity leads to a liver enzyme elevation. The Acupuncture.com website says research indicates that people taking herbs as treatments suffer liver damage. The website states that liver biopsies showed high levels of liver enzymes in people with herbal toxicity.

    Strenuous Exercise

    • The American Academy of Family Physicians states that many people suffer from exercise-induced liver enzyme elevation. AAFP says that these elevations caused by strenuous exercise indicate that muscle damage has occurred. This reason for liver enzyme elevation is hard to detect because no other symptoms work in conjunction with results of AST liver enzyme blood tests. AAFP says doctors look for creatine kinase and other muscle markers to confirm exercise-induced liver enzyme elevation.

    Alcohol Abuse

    • Years of alcohol abuse is another reason for a liver enzyme elevation, causing liver cirrhosis. The U.S. National Library of Medicine states that binge drinking leads to acute alcoholic hepatitis, increasing in severity with the passage of time. The liver no longer absorbs and digests alcohol consumed because of liver damage. The only way to decrease liver damage is to stop drinking.

    Congestive Heart Failure

    • The U.S. National Library of Medicine states that a liver enzyme elevation indicates congestive heart failure. This life-threatening condition occurs because the heart cannot pump adequate amounts of blood to the rest of the body. Congestive heart failure develops over time or appears suddenly. Elevated liver enzymes happen because blood backs up in the liver, reducing its ability to function properly. Doctors treat this condition by placing patients on heart medication, creating a low-salt dietary and lifestyle management plan, and monitoring patients every three to six months.

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