The liver is one of the major organs of the human body. The liver is one such object without which it is impossible to live. Liver problems may be sorted out if they are detected in time. Failing this, an individual will suffer from severe health problems and will eventually succumb to liver illness. Liver transplants are the only option for a patient suffering from liver damage. For this reason, it is best to detect any liver problems and sort them out before such serious problems arise.
The ALT blood test is a test for the substance known as Alanine Aminotransferase. Along with other substances such as Albumin, Aspartate Aminotransferase and Bilirubin, this substance is tested to check the health of the liver. Usually an ALT blood test is conducted as part of a series of tests that are conducted to determine the health of the liver. These tests are known as the liver panel tests. Read more on LFT blood test.
The ALT blood test normal levels lie between 4 and 36 units per liter of blood. Under normal circumstances, ALT is found in a concentrated form in the liver. Other parts of the body like they kidneys, the heart and muscle tissue also contain ALT, but they do in a much smaller quantity. When the tissues of the liver get damaged, ALT is released into the blood stream. This is why an ALT blood test is conducted. When the patient suffers from liver damage in the form of an infectious disease or cirrhosis, the ALT blood test is used to confirm this. There are usually other symptoms of liver malfunction in an individual who has elevated ALT blood test levels. These will help the doctor conclude that the problem is indeed associated with the liver.
In some cases, other conditions like chronic thyroid problems may cause high ALT blood test levels. However, this problem would show other symptoms that are inconsistent with liver damage.
Once the ALT blood test results are available, the doctor can take the necessary steps to save the liver from total damage. This is especially true if the condition is caused by some sort of infectious disease. Hepatitis can be cured if it is caught early enough. The type of hepatitis is also important when one wishes to treat the condition. From a patient point of view, the ALT blood test takes just a few moments as it is conducted on a sample of blood.