Medicines for Abnormal liver blood tests

What it is

Liver blood tests (often called "liver function tests" or LFTs) measure various substances in the blood that can indicate how the liver is working or whether liver cells are inflamed or damaged. Abnormal or "raised" results — such as raised liver enzymes — are common and are frequently found by chance when blood is tested for another reason, often in someone who feels well and has no symptoms. An abnormal result is not a diagnosis in itself but a signal that prompts looking for a cause. There are many possible causes, and many are common and not serious. Frequent causes include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (very common, linked to weight and metabolism), alcohol, certain medicines and supplements, and viral infections; less commonly, results reflect other liver conditions (such as autoimmune, inherited, or bile duct conditions), gallstones, or problems elsewhere (as some of the "liver" enzymes also come from other tissues, such as bone or muscle). Sometimes the abnormality is mild, temporary, and resolves on repeating the test. Because the causes range from minor and reversible to conditions needing treatment, abnormal liver blood tests are assessed to find the reason.

How it is treated

The approach is to interpret the pattern of the abnormal results and look for the cause, guided by the clinical picture. A doctor will consider factors such as alcohol intake, weight and metabolic risk factors, medicines and supplements, and any symptoms, and will often repeat the tests (as mild abnormalities can be temporary) and arrange further blood tests (a "liver screen" looking for common causes such as viral hepatitis, autoimmune and inherited conditions, and checking for fatty liver risk) and, frequently, an ultrasound scan of the liver. This structured assessment identifies the cause in most people. Treatment or action then depends on what is found: for example, lifestyle change for fatty liver, reducing or stopping alcohol, reviewing a responsible medicine, or treating a specific liver condition; where a more significant or unexplained abnormality is found, referral to a liver specialist may be arranged, sometimes with further tests to assess for liver scarring. Where the cause is minor or the tests normalise, this is reassuring. The reassuring message is that abnormal liver blood tests are common, often have a minor and reversible cause (frequently fatty liver, alcohol or a medicine), and are assessed in a structured way to find and address the reason.