Your body uses ALT to break down food into energy. Normally, ALT levels in the blood are low. If your liver is damaged, it will release more ALT into your blood and levels will rise. (ALT used to be called serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, or SGPT).

What does it mean when your ALT is high?

High levels of ALT may indicate liver damage from hepatitis, infection, cirrhosis, liver cancer, or other liver diseases. Other factors, including medicines, can affect your results. Be sure to tell your health care provider about all the prescription and over-the counter medicines you are taking.

What alanine aminotransferase means?

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT): An enzyme that is normally present in liver and heart cells. ALT is released into blood when the liver or heart is damaged. The blood ALT levels are thus elevated with liver damage (for example, from viral hepatitis) or with an insult to the heart (for example, from a heart attack).

What can affect alanine aminotransferase?

High Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Causes & Health Effects

Is ALT level of 41 high?

What ALT level is considered high? The upper limit of normal for ALT is 55 IU/L. When an ALT level is double to triple the upper limit of normal, it is considered mildly elevated. Severely elevated ALT levels found in liver disease are often 50 times the upper limit of normal.

Is ALT of 35 high?

What is ALT? The normal range for ALT is 10-40 units per liter (U/L) of blood for men and 7-35 U/L for women. Blood tests from InsideTracker will tell you your optimal range for ALT based on your age, gender, ethnicity, athletic activity, alcohol consumption, BMI, and smoking history.

Is 70 a high ALT level?

Normal levels of AST and ALT may slightly vary depending on the individual laboratory’s reference values. Typically the range for normal AST is reported between 10 to 40 units per liter and ALT between 7 to 56 units per liter. Mild elevations are generally considered to be 2-3 times higher than the normal range.

Is ALT level of 36 high?

The normal range is 4 to 36 U/L. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories.

What is a critical ALT level?

Greater than 50 µg/mL. Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Greater than 1000 U/L. Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Greater than 1000 U/L.

How do I get my ALT levels down?

Natural ways to lower ALT levels

  1. Drinking coffee. Drinking coffee can help to lower ALT levels. …
  2. Exercising regularly. …
  3. Losing excess weight. …
  4. Increasing folic acid intake. …
  5. Making dietary changes. …
  6. Reducing high cholesterol. …
  7. Taking care with medications or supplements. …
  8. Avoiding alcohol, smoking, and environmental toxins.

Does High ALT mean liver damage?

When your liver is damaged or inflamed, it can release ALT into your bloodstream. This causes your ALT levels to rise. A high ALT level can indicate a liver problem, which is why doctors often use an ALT test when diagnosing liver conditions.

Can you reverse liver disease?

In the case of cirrhosis, for example, you cannot undo the damage that has already occurred. Scarring is permanent, and the liver has lost its previous ability to function normally. However, a healthy lifestyle can help mitigate the risk of further damage.

Is a ALT level of 71 bad?

Alanine transferase (ALT) A high ALT level can be a sign of liver damage. An ALT level between: 10-50 IU/L is considered normal for men. 10-35 IU/L is considered normal for women.

What causes high alanine transaminase ALT?

The most common causes of elevated transaminase levels are nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease. Uncommon causes include drug-induced liver injury, hepatitis B and C, and hereditary hemochromatosis. Rare causes include alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency, autoimmune hepatitis, and Wilson disease.

How long does it take for liver enzymes to return to normal?

About one-third of people with elevated liver enzymes will have normal liver enzyme levels after two to four weeks. If your liver enzymes stay high, your provider may order more blood tests, or imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT scan or MRI. They may also refer you to a liver specialist (hepatologist).

Is 50 a high ALT level?

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is an enzyme found mainly in the liver. High levels (>50) indicate damage to liver cells as a result of infection (hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, etc.) or toxic levels of drugs (e.g. acetaminophen [Tylenol]) or chemicals (e.g. chloroform) or alcohol.

Is 42 a high ALT level?

Normal results According to the American College of Gastroenterology, the normal value for ALT in blood for people without risk factors for liver disease ranges from 29 to 33 international units per liter (IU/L) for males and 19 to 25 IU/L for females.

Is 68 a high ALT level?

A person with a healthy liver will have an ALT level in the normal range. The normal range can vary from laboratory to laboratory. According to the Mayo Clinic, the normal range for adult males is 7–55 units per liter. Females may have a lower upper limit normal than males.

Is 30 a high ALT level?

DiBisceglie said. ALT levels are a reflection of the general vascular condition, he said. If the level is above 30, then that person probably has a problem — fatty liver or some vascular disease, including occlusive coronary artery disease.

Is 45 a high ALT level?

ALT’s range from 0 up to 3000 or so in many acute hepatitis cases. They change with every meal so it is important not to panic if they go from 20 to 45 after a few months. All scores below 45 indicate a perfectly healthy score.

Is 150 a high ALT level?

ALT Hypertransaminasemia or a high ALT level in the blood mean: Mild ALT hypertransaminasemia (50 – 150 U/l in adult men, 35 – 105 U/l in adult women): The ALT levels in the blood are a bit higher than normal but if you are not experienced any symptom it is usually not a matter of concern.

When should I worry about ALT?

When ALT levels are very high, it may be a sign of an acute liver problem. Mild or moderate elevation, especially if it persists on several tests over time, can be an indicator of a chronic disease. However, the degree of elevation alone is not a reliable predictor of the extent of injury to the liver.

Which is worse high AST or ALT?

In addition, patients with Wilson’s disease or cirrhosis due to viral hepatitis may have an AST that is greater than the ALT, though the ratio typically is not greater than two. When the AST is higher than ALT, a muscle source of these enzymes should be considered. …

AST/ALT ratio
LOINC 16325-3, 1916-6

Is 56 a high ALT level?

The normal range of values for ALT (SGPT) is about 7 to 56 units per liter of serum.

What can I drink to flush my liver?

How Do You Flush Out Your Liver?

  1. Flush out with plenty of water intake: Water is the best flushing agent. …
  2. Get regular exercise: Exercise helps to burn extra calories that reduce your risk of diabetes, excess weight, high blood pressure, and high blood fat.

What is an unhealthy ALT level?

Conclusion: In our study, the upper limit of the healthy range of the serum ALT level was 31 IU/L for males and 23 IU/L for females. An unhealthy normal ALT level was associated with a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome and IR.

What is an alarming AST level?

The normal range of an SGOT test is generally between 8 and 45 units per liter of serum. In general, men may naturally have higher amounts of AST in the blood. A score above 50 for men and 45 for women is high and may indicate damage.

What is the upper limit of normal for ALT?

30 U/L Currently, the upper limit of normal ALT has been re-evaluated in different countries by involving different age groups. These studies suggested that the upper limit of normal ALT should be revised and the recommendations are 30 U/L for men and 19 U/L for women respectively [4], [5], [6], [7].