Is AST more important than ALT?
Is AST more important than ALT?
Serum aminotransferase levels—ALT and AST—are two of the most useful measures of liver cell injury, although the AST is less liver specific than is ALT level. Elevations of the AST level may also be seen in acute injury to cardiac or skeletal muscle.
Why would AST be slightly high?
High levels of AST in the blood may indicate hepatitis, cirrhosis, mononucleosis, or other liver diseases. High AST levels can also indicate heart problems or pancreatitis. If your results are not in the normal range, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a medical condition needing treatment.
Can AST and ALT levels fluctuate?
At age 60, AST and ALT activities become roughly equal. AST levels are about 15% higher in Africans than Caucasian men. Obese men may have mildly elevated AST levels. AST levels can fluctuate between 5 and 10% from one day to the next in the same individual.
Does AST ALT ratio matter when levels are normal?
A normal AST:ALT ratio should be <1. In patients with alcoholic liver disease, the AST:ALT ratio is >1 in 92% of patients, and >2 in 70%. AST:ALT scores >2 are, therefore, strongly suggestive of alcoholic liver disease and scores <1 more suggestive of NAFLD/NASH.
How long does it take for AST and ALT to return to normal?
With acute Hepatitis, AST levels usually stay high for about 1-2 months but can take as long as 3-6 months to return to normal.
What causes elevated AST and Alt values?
The most common diseases causing abnormally elevated ALT and AST are acute viral hepatitis, such as hemochromatosis (a genetic condition causing long standing liver damage due to iron build up in the liver), and diminished blood flow to the liver (from shock or heart failure).
What does an elevated AST ALT mean?
A high AST level is a sign of liver damage, but it can also mean you have damage to another organ that makes it, like your heart or kidneys. That’s why doctors often do the AST test together with tests of other liver enzymes.
What causes elevated AST levels?
High AST levels can also be produced by some types of cancer, recent ingestion of high amounts of vitamin A, mononucleosis, and as a side effect of a long list of medications, including statins (anti-cholesterol medication), many antibiotics, chemotherapy, large doses of aspirin, barbiturates, and opioid drugs (narcotics).
What would cause a high AST?
High AST can be caused by liver diseases, myocardial infarction (heart attack), acute pancreatitis, acute hemolytic anemia, trauma (especially severe burns), acute kidney failure, diseases of the muscular and skeletal systems, and other causes. Sometimes the cause of the high AST result is obvious, e.g. if acute physical trauma is present.
