What Does High ATL And ASt Suggest?

Posted on Thu, 15 May 2014

Question: hello i have hep c and recently got my liver tests back. Can u explain them to me. Some things are high and some are normal My alt is 176, my ast is 156, my GGT is 68, my alp is 105, my alb is 4.4 my bilt is 0.4 my glob is 2.2 my tp is 6.6 and my XXXXXXX is 51.

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (17 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Please find detailed answer below

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX
Thanks for writing in to us.

I have read through your query in detail.

ALT and AST are higher and reflect increased liver enzymes which may be due to your Hep C. GGT and ALP are marginally above normal and not a concern.

Proteins, albumin, globulin are also normal.

blood glucose levels are normal.

Cholesterol numbers are in normal range except for HDL which is acceptable. You do not have any increased risk of coronary heart disease.

Kidney function tests are normal.

Serum sodium, potassium and chloride are normal.

You may get liver function tests and ultrasound scan abdomen done regularly as you are Hep C infected.

Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,
Dr.Vivek

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Vivek Chail (20 minutes later)

I kind of guessed from reading on internet and looking of what the tests mean, what u wrote above. How serious is it that my ALT and AST are high..and what should i do and what does it mean..is this indication that I have scarring in some form..?

How can i bring down the levels..

Also with HDL higher..what causes that and what can i do to bring it down..

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Please find detailed answer below

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for writing back with an update.

About two thirds of people with chronic hepatitis C have continuously elevated ALT levels, reflecting ongoing damage to liver cells. In one third of people with chronic hepatitis C, the ALT levels remain normal, even though they have a detectable HCV viral load. Although most of these people will live with HCV infection without any liver-related problems, roughly one quarter of people may have progression of liver disease even when ALT levels are normal. ALT, in particular, is often one of the criteria in deciding when to start HCV treatment.

AST levels are often elevated in people with chronic hepatitis C. However, AST levels are usually lower than ALT levels. If cirrhosis occurs, AST levels can increase higher than ALT levels—a sign that damage to the liver is worsening.

There is no method to actively decrease the ALT and AST levels but you may avoid alcohol and any medications that affect liver functioning as a precautionary measure.

Scarring of liver is best seen on imaging and that is the reason I recommend an ultrasound scan of abdomen if not done already.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is positively associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). HDL cholesterol level (HDL-C) of 60 mg/dL or greater is a negative (protective) risk factor.

There is no need to worry for high HDL levels.

Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,
Dr.Vivek

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar