What Causes High Liver Enzymes: An Evidence-Based Overview
By Dr. Nayana Shetty +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Nayana Shetty
Last updated: Apr 30, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr. Nayana Shetty +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Nayana Shetty
Last updated: Apr 30, 2024Table of Contents
The liver is an extremely important organ for good health. It produces certain enzymes that need to be within the normal range. In this article, we’ll talk about what liver enzymes do and why they’re important. Any alteration in their levels may point to a possible liver problem.
Therefore, in this post, we will also be examining what may trigger a rise in liver enzymes.
Next, we’ll also dive into how doctors diagnose liver problems and we’ll outline possible ways to manage these conditions. Finally, we will answer the frequently asked questions regarding this topic.
Did you know?
After two to four weeks, about one-third of those with increased liver enzymes will have normal liver enzyme values. Your doctor may request for blood tests or imaging procedures like an MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound if your liver enzyme levels continue to be elevated. The cause of the increased liver enzymes will determine the course of management.
Dr. Siddharth Gupta, MD
Liver enzymes are vital for the functioning of the liver, like clearing out toxins and breaking down food. They play a key role in keeping us healthy.
Liver enzymes are proteins made by the liver. They help the liver carry out its tasks.
The role of liver enzymes is as follows.
Having the right amount of liver enzymes is important, and shows that the liver is working as it should. Higher than normal liver enzyme levels may be a sign of liver damage or an inflamed liver. Common causes may include infections, drinking alcohol, or taking certain drugs.
In my opinion, if you have symptoms of liver damage or are at risk for liver disease, your doctor may request a liver function test (LFT) to measure the levels of liver enzymes in your body even during a routine examination.
Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS
Many things may elevate your liver enzyme levels. This includes lifestyle choices and underlying health conditions.
Fatty liver disease occurs when fat accumulates in the liver. This may lead to damage and swelling of the liver cells. There are two types of fatty liver disease as follows:.
This is a type of fatty liver that occurs even without consumption of alcohol. NAFLD occurs when extra fat builds up in the liver. It is often linked with metabolic syndrome.
This type of fatty liver disease develops from drinking excess alcohol. It leads to a build-up of fat and leads to damage to the liver.
Metabolic syndrome is a set of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. These conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar levels, and belly fat. All the above conditions result in fat buildup in the liver which affects the liver enzyme levels.
Hepatitis is inflammation and swelling of the liver tissue, often caused by a virus. The different types of hepatitis affect liver enzyme levels in different ways.
Types of hepatitis and their effects on liver enzymes
What happens when you consume too much alcohol or misuse drugs? It harms your liver, as both alcohol and drugs undergo breakdown in the liver, leading to swelling and high liver enzyme levels.
Medications that may cause elevated liver enzymes
Cirrhosis is when liver tissue scars over time due to damage. It hampers liver functions and increases liver enzyme levels.
Elevated liver enzymes can even occur due to non-alcoholic medical conditions like NASH or NAFLD, even if you have never consumed alcohol.
Dr. Smita barode, BAMS
Other possible causes for the rise in liver enzymes may be infections, autoimmune diseases, and genetic conditions.
Infections, autoimmune diseases, and genetic factors
Here is a short summary of the possible causes of the rise in liver enzymes.
Cause | Explanation |
Fatty liver disease | Fat buildup in the liver, which may be either non-alcoholic or alcoholic in origina. |
Metabolic syndrome | A group of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. |
Hepatitis | Viral infections or autoimmune conditions inflaming the liver. |
Alcohol or drug use disorder | Damage to the liver from drinking too much alcohol or medications or using illicit drugs. |
Cirrhosis | Ongoing scarring of liver tissue due to long-term damage |
Other possible causes | Infections, autoimmune diseases, genetic conditions, Short-term fluctuations during pregnancy, menstruation, high-intensity workouts, and during rapid weight loss. |
How do we find out why liver enzymes are high? Your healthcare professional will take a detailed medical history, and carry out a thorough physical examination, followed by blood tests. Then, imaging tests, if needed may be done.
In this step, the doctor will ask questions about drugs of any kind being used by the patient for any disease that they have, if they are taking any over-the-counter drugs or any herbal medicines without a prescription if they have recently lost a lot of weight if their family history of the disease is explored in detail. The history of using illicit drugs in the past or currently is also explored. If it is a female patient, then their menstrual history is taken, and pregnancy status will be determined and then the doctor will carry out a thorough physical examination as well.
What are liver function tests? They measure specific liver enzymes in your blood to check if the liver is working properly.
Enzymes that are detected in blood during LFT are AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT in the blood. These help to detect liver damage.
What do high levels of liver enzymes mean? It could be a sign of damage to your liver. If your liver enzyme levels are high, you may need more tests to find the root cause.
Sometimes we need more tests to know why liver enzyme levels are high. These are as follows.
Also Read: What is Cirrhosis of the Liver: An In-Depth Look at Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
How do we manage high liver enzymes? We focus on what’s causing it.
The first step to managing high liver enzymes is by addressing what is causing it. For this, you need to go to your doctor if you are having any symptoms or as a part of a regular checkup and then the doctor will carry out tests to find out the cause. Following this, the doctor will draw a plan on how to manage it.
There are therapies, drugs, and support groups that may help those having trouble with alcohol or drug misuse.
To manage cirrhosis, you need to remove the root cause. This involves changes to your diet, and quitting drinking alcohol, and other medicines. All these may help limit further harm to your liver.
Lifestyle changes may improve liver health and manage the conditions that are ramping up liver enzyme levels.
Keep active and keep your weight in check through the right diet and regular exercise. All these steps may help manage liver disease.
Routine checkups and blood tests help keep an eye on liver enzyme levels and detect medicalconditions early.
High liver enzyme levels may be a sign of damage or swelling of your liver. It may be caused by many factors. Knowing the proven reasons, tests, and management options helps manage these conditions better. Keeping the liver healthy is key for all-round wellbeing. Regular check-ups may catch high liver enzyme levels early and help avoid serious complications. Thus, always visit your healthcare professional on a regular basis for an overall health checkup.
It’s fatty liver disease, due to non-drinking or drinking excessive alcohol.
High liver enzymes means damage or swelling of the liver, but it may also be due to short-term factors like an acute infection. Always check with your doctor to find out the exact cause behind your elevated levels and what may be done to restore normal levels.
Managing what’s causing high liver enzymes is the first step to managing this condition. Changes to your lifestyle, sticking to your prescribed drugs, weight loss, and looking for help for alcohol or drug misuse may all help. Always consult your doctor for proper guidance for the exact steps that you need to take.
A diet packed with saturated fats, simple sugars, and fried and processed foods may cause high liver enzymes. Eating a diet rich in fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains may help your liver remain healthy.
You may keep liver enzymes in check by eating a balanced diet, being active, maintaining a healthy weight, drinking alcohol wisely, and not taking any medicines or supplements without talking to your healthcare provider first. Regular check-ups may also help keep an eye on your liver enzyme levels.
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