Just got Blood work back

[tommboy]

I just got blood work back and everything was within the normal range which is great since, I'm kind of on HRT. My cholesterol was good at 57 HDL and 71.6 LDL and 137 total cholesterol. But where can I find how my liver is doing I think I got everything done I'm just not sure what to look at. Thanks guys

 

[big_daws]

I just got blood work back and everything was within the normal range which is great since, I'm kind of on HRT. My cholesterol was good at 57 HDL and 71.6 LDL and 137 total cholesterol. But where can I find how my liver is doing I think I got everything done I'm just not sure what to look at. Thanks guys

how can you "kind of be on HRT"? You're either on or not....

 

[tommboy]

Self med. HRT

 

[csobel]

http://arthritis.about.com/od/diagnostic/a/liverbloodtests.htm

Good general guide for interpreting liver enzyme values.

 

[Tatyana]

Post up your test results, it is my career.

 

[tommboy]

Well everything was within the norm, maybe you can tell me which items are relevant and I can post the numbers for those.

 

[Tatyana]

Liver function test, it does vary what they do from lab to lab, and the reference ranges also are different. The US uses different units from the UK, and also some 'old fashioned' terms ASOT and G something or other.

This is a rough guide and in UK units

Bilirubin less than 18-20

Conjugated Bili less than 8 I think

Albumin 35-60 g/L

Alkaline phosphatase (alk phos or ALP) less than around 50 IU/L

Alanine transaminase (ALT) Less than around 60 IU/L

Aspartate transaminase (AST) same as above

Gamma-glutamine transaminase (GGT) Less than 80 IU/L (I think this one can increase at the drop of a hat though)

If everything was in the normal range, what is your concern?

 

[tommboy]

That I wasn't test on everything liver related maybe, I also am getting sick once a month lately and it is concerning to think that It may be a big problem. I think my results are in different measurements, here are the ones I have on the sheet tell me if there are enough to constitute an OK for my liver or if I wasn't tested on enough things....

Albumin 4.5
total bilirubin 1.17
direct billirubin 0.22
alk phosphate 132.0
ast 26.0
alt 55.0
And I think thats everything except I cant find GGT anywhere
and I don

 

[Varga]

I'm looking at my blood work to compare with yours and the 2 things that's are right on the border for you is
Bilirubin total.
Yours is at 1.17 with the high norm 1.2
Mine is .6
Also, ALT..yours is 55 where the high norm is 55
mine is 24.
Not sure what it means, maybe somebody can shed some light on this....

 

[Tatyana]

I'm looking at my blood work to compare with yours and the 2 things that's are right on the border for you is
Bilirubin total.
Yours is at 1.17 with the high norm 1.2
Mine is .6
Also, ALT..yours is 55 where the high norm is 55
mine is 24.
Not sure what it means, maybe somebody can shed some light on this....

Only having bili and ALT elevated is not that significant.


Sorry I have to convert to the units I am used to

Bili = 20 um/L
CBili = 4 um/L
Albumin = 45 g/L

Bili comes from the breakdown of red blood cells, and then it is conjugated (or direct bili) in the liver.

This slightly high bili indicates that you have more red blood cells, therefore more are there to break down (more RBCs does happen when on steroids), or too many are breaking down. If your haemoglobin was normal, then that is not the issue.

The combo of bili and conjugated bili lets the clinician know if there is a problem pre or hepatic, meaning before the liver or in the liver.

BTW, 20 um/L would be considered 'normal' in the UK.

ALT is quite a liver specific enzyme. We have these enzymes in our bloodstream due to the normal turnover of cells in the liver, they die and release the enzymes.

Again, only slightly elevated, this could be normal for you as when reference ranges are established, they really only include 95% of the local population (that is if the lab did the correct procedure of checking what is normal in the local population).

Liver enzymes are elevated when the processing and breakdown capabilities of the liver are over-whelmed, as most of the detoxification of things like drugs, steroids (both your natural ones and the ones you inject) happen in the liver.

The liver is really central to metabolism, and it is one tough cookie, it is one of the only organs that can completely regrow from just a small bit of it.

I wouldn't worry too much.

If you are concerned, then get some bloods taken again in 3-6 months and see if there is any difference.