Bile Acid Test

Bile acids are formed in the liver, stored and concentrated in the gallbladder and then secreted into the intestine. They are crucial for the digestion and absorption of lipids, nutrients and fats from the intestine.

Bile acid test is used to diagnose jaundice, gallbladder disease and hepatobiliary diseases such as acute hepatitis or liver cancer, etc. It analyzes your liver health by measuring the levels of bile acids.

When a person suffers any problem in the liver functioning and shows symptoms like dark urine, yellowing of skin and eyes, abdominal pain or swelling, light-coloured stools, nausea, heartburn, bile reflux etc., he or she is advised to consult a doctor and take the tests advised.

Other Names of Bile Acid Test

• Bile acids serum test
• Bile Acid Test

What does the Bile Acid Test Detect or Measure and who is this Prescribed for?

The test is prescribed to measure bile acid levels in blood. Through the test, the healthcare experts diagnose the cause of liver-related diseases, jaundice, liver cancer, pancreas damage, hepatobiliary diseases etc.

Your doctor may suggest you get tested if you notice the below-mentioned symptoms:

• Nausea
• Vomiting greenish-yellow fluid
• Abdominal pain/swelling
• Bile reflux
• Heartburn
• Loss of appetite
• Bloating
• Unintended weight loss

These symptoms aren't inclusive and may include other related symptoms connected to deranged bilirubin levels and other liver diseases.

Normal Range: 0.5 - 10 pmol/L

As these ranges aren't universal, you must discuss your bile acid test reports with a specialist doctor or Gastroenterologist.

Total bile acids are metabolized in the liver and hence serve as a marker for liver function. Serum total bile acids may be increased in patients with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, obstruction of bile duct and liver cancer. Consult a doctor for interpretation of reports.

Blood samples are given for the bile acid tests. The doctors analyse the bile test results and may order other tests for further analysis.

Test Preparation

A bile acid test procedure requires a sample of blood usually taken from the vein of your arm. For the bile acid test, you are required not to eat or drink anything except water for 10-12  hours before the test.

If you are on any medications or herbal supplements, talk to your doctor to see if you should stop or continue taking medication. The other instructions regarding the tests might also be given by your doctor for measuring accurate levels of bilirubin.

Test inclusions: what parameters are included?

The bile test uses one parameter, i.e. measuring the level of bile acids present in your blood.

How frequently should you take this test?

If the bile test report shows higher levels of bile acids, then your doctor may order other tests for determining the causes of increased bile acids.

Once your medication starts, the doctor may ask you to take one or more of the bile tests periodically to monitor the effectiveness of your medication and treatment. If your doctor diagnosed that your liver or gallbladder isn't functioning properly, then you may order imaging tests to ensure there are no structural abnormalities.

Jaundice, hepatitis, cirrhosis, gallbladder disease, hemolytic anaemia, cholestasis of pregnancy, hepatobiliary disease.