All You Must Know About Liver Function Tests

Liver has one of the most important jobs on hand in the smooth functioning of the digestive system. It is one of the digestive organs in the body, located right beneath the diaphragm, which secretes enzymes responsible for assisting digestion process of food that we eat.

Healthy liver is a master organ having a command over innumerable body functions (besides enzymes secretion):

• Glucose Synthesis and its Storage
• Protein Synthesis
• Detoxification of Metabolites
• Regulation of RBC in Blood
• Cleansing of Blood
• Controlling Body Metabolism
• Fights against Infections

You should take LFT or Liver Function Test at a diagnostic centre in Delhi if you are having signs and symptoms of liver complications. You can also take a pro-active approach like going for periodic check-up of liver since its functioning is crucial for digestive and other body activities.

Why is it Important to Have LFT?

Healthy liver is actually a blessing for human body because it has the marvellous capacity to regenerate its damaged cells. Its automatic power of growing back gets dysfunctional when there are liver complications or any grave physical injury sustained to liver.

Liver function tests, available at pathology labs in Delhi, helps in:

• Diagnosing the area of liver which is causing the complication.
• Indicator of the performance level of liver in respect to protein synthesis and clearing of bilirubin (a waste product of blood) from the bloodstream.
• Besides monitoring liver damage/ disease LFT helps to measure the level of enzymes and proteins in the bloodstream.
• Screening of liver infections like hepatitis
• Monitoring of liver diseases – its progression and whether medical treatment is yielding result.
• Judging severity of disease especially in case of liver cirrhosis affected person
• Check out for unwanted side-effects due to intake of medicines.

The Common Liver Function Tests

Diagnostic centre labs in Delhi have the latest infrastructural facilities to support the spectrum of liver functioning tests:

• Albumin and total protein – the normal range is 3.5 to 5.0 grams per decilitre for albumin and 6.3 to 7.9 grams per decilitre for total protein
• Bilirubin – the normal range is 0.1 to 1.2 milligrams per decilitre
• Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) – the normal range is 45 to 115 units per litre
• Alanine transaminase (ALT) – the normal range is 7 to 55 units per litre
• Aspartate transaminase (AST) – the normal range is 8 to 48 units per litre
• Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)– the normal range is 9 to 48 units per litre
• L-lactate dehydrogenase (LD)– the normal range is 122 to 222 units perlitre
• Prothrombin time (PT)– the normal range is 9.5 to 13.8 seconds

The above normal range value is specific to male patients. The range will slightly vary for women and children. Normal ranges and the examined value will be clearly stated in the report depending on the gender of the patient.

Are There Any Risk Associated With LFT?

Trained blood sample collectors at pathology lab in Delhi draws out blood in the most comfortable, risk-free way from the vein in your arm. There are no major risks apart from simple bruising of the needle contact site (it may not apply in your case).

Things You Need to Keep In Mind

Medical professional will guide you about how to get prepared for LFT. He may suggest avoiding certain food and medicines prior to collection of your blood sample.

Remember that abnormal value in liver function test reports does not always indicate the occurrence of liver diseases. Simple medications can help you get back within the normal result range soon.

It is always better to have an early detection of liver diseases to stay healthy because chances of liver cells recovery is high.