Sgot elevated what does it mean

AST is a protein made by liver cells. When cells in any of those parts of the body are damaged, AST can be elevated. A high AST level often means there is some liver damage, but it is not necessarily caused by hepatitis C.

It is important to realize that the AST level in most patients with hepatitis C goes up and down. The exact AST level does not tell you how much liver damage there is, or whether the liver is getting better or worse, and small changes should be expected. However, for patients receiving treatment for hepatitis C, it is helpful to see if the AST level goes down.

Veterans Crisis Line: Press 1. Complete Directory. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes. You don't need any special preparations for an AST blood test.

If your health care provider has ordered other blood tests, you may need to fast not eat or drink for several hours before the test. Your health care provider will let you know if there are any special instructions to follow. There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly. 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. A variety of factors that can affect your results.

These include your age, gender, diet, and types of medicines you take. To learn what your results mean, talk to your health care provider. Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

ALT stands for alanine aminotransferase, which is another type of liver enzyme. You may also have an AST test part of a series of liver function tests. It will only take them a minute to draw the blood into a small vial. You may have a small bruise for up to a week. Relaxing during the procedure as much as possible will prevent your muscles from tensing, which can cause pain during a blood draw. The blood sample will later be processed by a machine. While it only takes a few hours to process the sample, it may take several days to get the results from your doctor.

There are very few risks to having an SGOT test. If you feel light-headed or faint following the procedure, let the technicians know. If the results of your SGOT test are high, that means one of the organs or muscles containing the enzyme could be damaged.

These include your liver, but also the muscles, heart, brain, and kidneys. Your doctor may order follow-up tests to rule out another diagnosis. 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. There may be some variation in the normal ranges depending on the technique the lab used. The exact range of the lab will be listed in the report of the results.

These conditions include:. If your SGOT test is inconclusive, your doctor may order additional follow-up tests. All of these tests are blood tests and can be completed in a complete blood panel test CBP. If other organs or muscles are thought to be the reason for your high AST levels, your doctor may order additional testing to diagnose the problem, such as an ultrasound of the liver.

Liver function tests help screen for problems such as infections, scarring, and disorders. They're also used if you start experiencing symptoms of a…. Most of the time your doctor orders a blood test for you, it will be a basic metabolic panel.

But sometimes she will go a step further and order a…. Damage to the liver from excessive drinking can lead to ARLD.