Liver Function Tests

Liver function tests, also known as liver chemistries, help determine the health of your liver by measuring the levels of proteins, liver enzymes, and bilirubin in your blood. A liver function test is often recommended in the following situations: to check for damage from liver infections, such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C, to monitor the side effects of certain medications known to affect the liver, if you already have a liver disease, to monitor the disease and how well a particular treatment is working, if you’re experiencing the symptoms of a liver disorder, if you have certain medical conditions such as high triglycerides, diabetes, high blood pressure, or anemia, if you drink alcohol heavily, if you have gallbladder disease
Many tests can be performed on the liver. Certain tests can reflect different aspects of liver function. Commonly used tests to check liver abnormalities are tests checking: alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, bilirubin
The ALT and AST tests measure enzymes that your liver releases in response to damage or disease. The albumin test measures how well the liver creates albumin, while the bilirubin test measures how well it disposes of bilirubin. ALP can be used to evaluate the bile duct system of the liver.