Causes of Elevated LFTs: What It Means for Your Liver | Dr. Nivedita Pandey

Did your liver enzyme levels go up during a blood test? This might mean your liver isn’t working right. It’s key to know why liver function tests (LFTs) go up to keep your liver healthy. Liver enzymes help break down stuff in your body. If your liver gets damaged, these enzymes can spill into your blood, making levels go up.

Things like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcohol damage, viral hepatitis, and cirrhosis can cause high liver enzymes. If your levels keep going up, see your doctor. They can find out why and help you. Catching and treating problems early can stop more damage and keep you healthy.

In this detailed article, we’ll look at why LFTs go up, symptoms, and how to help your liver. Knowing what causes high liver enzymes helps you take care of your liver. This way, you can avoid serious liver problems.

Overview of Elevated Liver Enzymes

Your liver is very important. It does many key jobs and uses enzymes to help. If your liver gets hurt or doesn’t work right, these enzymes can leak into your blood. This might mean you have liver disease or another health problem.

What Are Liver Enzymes?

Liver enzymes, like ALT and AST, are key for the liver. They help with important metabolic processes and live in liver cells. When the liver gets damaged or inflamed, these enzymes spill into the blood. This can cause high liver enzyme levels, or abnormal liver function tests (LFTs).

Symptoms of High Liver Enzyme Levels

High liver enzyme levels often don’t show symptoms. They might be found during blood tests. But, some signs include:

• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

Not everyone with high liver enzyme levels will show these signs. The severity can vary. It’s crucial to get regular check-ups and watch your liver function. This helps catch and manage any liver health issues early.

Common Causes of High Liver Enzymes

High liver enzyme levels often come from two main causes: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease. Knowing what causes high liver enzymes helps you take steps to keep your liver healthy.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

NAFLD happens when too much fat builds up in the liver. It usually affects people who are overweight or have metabolic syndrome. This fat buildup can cause inflammation and damage, leading to high liver enzymes. NAFLD is the top reason for high liver enzymes, affecting 25-51% of those with it.

Alcoholic Liver Disease

Drinking too much alcohol can cause alcoholic liver disease. This can start with simple fatty liver and get worse to hepatitis and cirrhosis. The inflammation and scarring from heavy drinking raise liver enzymes.

Both NAFLD and alcoholic liver disease can get worse without clear signs until the liver is badly damaged. Knowing the causes of high liver enzymes is key to taking action and preventing more damage.

Metabolic Syndrome and Liver Enzymes

Metabolic syndrome is a group of health issues. These include being overweight, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and bad cholesterol. It’s closely tied to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and high liver enzyme levels.

Insulin resistance is key in metabolic syndrome. It leads to fat buildup in the liver. This can cause inflammation and damage. Liver enzymes like ALT and AST can then rise.

Studies link high liver enzymes to metabolic syndrome. This includes insulin resistance, bad cholesterol, and obesity. Managing these issues is crucial for liver health.

To tackle metabolic syndrome, focus on a healthy weight. This means eating right and exercising. Also, control blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. These steps can prevent fatty liver disease and reduce liver damage risk.

Research shows 24% to 26% of U.S. adults have metabolic syndrome. Even slightly high liver enzymes raise the risk of metabolic syndrome. A healthy lifestyle and managing metabolic syndrome aspects are key to liver health.

Causes of Elevated LFTs

Knowing why liver function tests (LFTs) go up is important for a healthy liver. NAFLD and alcoholic liver disease are big reasons. But, many other things can also raise liver enzyme levels.

Viral hepatitis, like Hepatitis A, B, and C, can harm the liver. This leads to high LFTs. These viruses mess with the liver’s work, causing enzymes to leak into the blood.

Some medicines, even the ones you buy without a prescription, can hurt the liver. Taking them as told can still cause liver damage and high enzyme levels.

Autoimmune disorders, like autoimmune hepatitis, make the immune system attack the liver. This causes inflammation and high LFTs. Genetic issues, like hemochromatosis, which makes the body hold too much iron, can also harm the liver and raise enzyme levels.

It’s important to know all the reasons LFTs can go up. This helps doctors find the right treatment. They can then work on keeping the liver healthy and preventing more damage.

Hepatitis and Its Impact on Liver Enzymes

Viral hepatitis is a group of diseases that harm your liver. They cause inflammation and damage. This leads to high liver enzyme levels. The three main types are hepatitis A, B, and C. Each affects the liver differently and spreads in unique ways.

Hepatitis A, B, and C

Hepatitis A spreads through contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B and C are passed through contact with infected fluids, like blood. These viruses can make you feel tired, nauseous, and cause stomach pain and yellow skin.

If you think you’ve been exposed or have symptoms, see a doctor right away. Early treatment can stop more liver damage. It also lowers the chance of serious problems like cirrhosis.

• Hepatitis A virus (HAV) incidence has decreased by around 95% since the introduction of the hepatitis A vaccine in 1995.
• Cases of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) have significantly decreased since the 1990 vaccine introduction, with the highest rates now seen in individuals aged 40 and older.
• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cases have been steadily increasing since 2010, particularly in the 20 to 40 age group, due to the opioid crisis and improved surveillance.

Worldwide, the World Health Organization says 1 in 3 people have been infected with HBV or HCV. Rates are low in rich countries but high in poor ones. A severe complication is acute liver failure, which can need a transplant. Viral hepatitis is a big cause of this worldwide.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Drinking too much alcohol and using drugs can hurt your liver. This can make liver enzyme levels go up and cause serious damage. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to alcoholic hepatitis, causing inflammation and injury in the liver.

Drugs, including some medicines and illegal ones, can also harm the liver. This can make liver enzyme levels go up. It’s important to stop drinking too much and avoid harmful drugs.

Alcoholic Hepatitis

Alcoholic hepatitis is a serious problem for people who drink a lot over time. It causes inflammation and damage to the liver. This can make liver enzyme levels go up a lot.

It’s very important to stop drinking alcohol to help the liver. This can lower liver enzyme levels and prevent more damage.

Toxic Hepatitis

Toxic hepatitis happens when certain medicines, drugs, or supplements harm the liver. This can make liver enzyme levels go up. The liver has trouble processing these harmful substances.

Stopping the harmful substance and getting medical help is key. This can help bring liver enzyme levels back to normal.

It’s important to tackle alcohol abuse and drug use to keep the liver healthy. Getting help, making lifestyle changes, and avoiding harmful substances are crucial. This helps protect your liver.

Cirrhosis and Elevated Liver Enzymes

If you’ve been told you have elevated liver enzymes, it’s crucial to address the underlying cause. One serious condition that often leads to high liver enzyme levels is cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the final stage of chronic liver disease, marked by permanent scarring of liver tissue.

This scarring makes the liver less able to function properly, leading to a rise in liver enzyme levels like ALT and AST. Cirrhosis can stem from a variety of factors, including chronic hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or alcoholic liver disease. As the liver becomes more damaged and its function declines, these enzymes may continue to increase.

Symptoms of cirrhosis can include:

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
• Abdominal swelling
• Digestive issues
• Increased bleeding and bruising
• Confusion or cognitive impairment

If you have high liver enzymes, it’s crucial to work closely with your healthcare provider to identify the underlying cause and begin treatment. Catching and addressing cirrhosis early can help prevent its severe complications, like liver failure. With proper management, you can take steps to protect your liver health and lower your enzyme levels.

Other Potential Causes

While fatty liver disease and hepatitis are common causes of high liver enzymes, other conditions can also play a role. Autoimmune disorders and genetic conditions are examples. Knowing about these can help you and your doctor find the cause and treat it.

Autoimmune Hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis happens when your immune system attacks your liver. This leads to high liver enzyme levels. It’s more common in women and can be caused by some medicines or infections. Treatment with drugs that calm the immune system is key to managing it and preventing liver damage.

Inherited Liver Disorders

Genetic conditions like Wilson’s disease and hemochromatosis can also cause high liver enzymes. Wilson’s disease causes copper to build up in the liver and other organs. Hemochromatosis leads to too much iron in the liver. Both can harm the liver. If you have a family history, talk to your doctor about testing and monitoring.

Watching your liver enzymes closely is important. Knowing what can cause them to rise helps you protect your liver. Whether it’s an autoimmune disease or a genetic disorder, finding and treating it early is crucial for your liver health.

Testing for High Liver Enzymes

If you think you might have liver problems, your doctor will do liver function tests. These tests check the levels of important liver enzymes like AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT. They help see how well your liver is working.

If the first tests show something odd, your doctor might want to do more tests. This could include imaging scans or a liver biopsy. These tests help understand your liver’s condition better and find the cause.

It’s important to understand your liver test results and talk to your doctor about them. This helps you take care of your liver health.

Types of Liver Function Tests

• Blood Tests: These check the levels of liver enzymes, proteins, and other substances in your blood. They give clues about liver function.
• Imaging Scans: Ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI can make detailed pictures of your liver. They help find any liver problems or issues.
• Liver Biopsy: Sometimes, a small liver tissue sample is taken and checked. This helps diagnose specific liver conditions or diseases.

Knowing about different liver function tests and what they mean helps you work with your healthcare team. This ensures the best care for your liver.

Treatment and Management Strategies

If you have high liver enzymes, finding and fixing the cause is key. Your treatment might include lifestyle changes, medicines, and regular check-ups with your doctor.

For nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), losing weight and controlling blood sugar and blood pressure are important. Eating right and exercising can help reduce liver fat and stop damage.

1. Eat a balanced diet with lots of whole foods.
2. Do regular exercise like walking or strength training.
3. Manage diabetes or high blood pressure if you have it.

For viral hepatitis or autoimmune disorders, medicines can help manage the disease and reduce inflammation. If liver damage comes from medicines or alcohol, stopping these harmful substances is the first step.

It’s very important to work closely with your healthcare provider to find the best treatment. You’ll need regular check-ups, tests, and sometimes imaging or biopsies to track your health and adjust your treatment as needed.

By tackling the cause of your high liver enzymes and following the right treatment, you can help manage your liver disease. This will improve your health and well-being.

Conclusion

Elevated liver enzymes are a warning sign that your liver might not be working right. Knowing the causes, like fatty liver disease or viral hepatitis, helps. You can work with your doctor to find the problem and protect your liver.

Keeping an eye on your liver enzymes and making healthy changes can prevent damage. Always talk to your doctor to make sure you’re taking care of your liver. This helps keep you healthy overall.

It’s very important to watch your liver enzymes and work with your doctor. Being proactive about your liver health lowers the risk of serious problems. This way, you can live a healthier, happier life.

Source Links

• High Liver Enzymes Causes: What They Mean And When To See A Doctor
• Elevated Liver Enzymes Causes
• Liver Function Tests – StatPearls