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What Does AST 50 And ALT 90 Indicate?

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Posted on Tue, 2 Sep 2014
Question: i recently went through detox and my lab results leaving the hospital said my ast was 50 and my alt 91. how serious is this?
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Answered by Dr. Suresh Raghavaiah (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Levels mildly high. Will need repaet testing soon.

Detailed Answer:
Hi Ms XXXXXXX

Thanks for taking the time to write to Health care magic.

My name is Dr Suresh and I hope to answer your question today. First of all let me congratulate you on completing your de-tox program. Please do let me know what kind of de-tox it was (general de-tox, Alcohol, or for drugs)

Regarding your question, AST and ALT are enzymes which are produced and stored inside the liver cells. Their normal levels in the blood ranges from 5-40 units and 7-56 units respectively. But when the liver cells get damaged for some reason (Alcohol, drugs, infections, hepatitis, etc) they release the enzymes into the blood and hence their levels rise. More the number of liver cells that get damaged, higher will the enzyme levels be. But since the liver has a great capacity to regenerate itself, these levels will go back to normal very soon, provided the inciting event for the damage is treated.

In your case, the ALT is almost twice the normal limits while the AST is almost normal. Unfortunately a single test does not tell the entire story and we will need to look at the trend of the enzyme levels to make sense of it. If a repeat levels drawn after sometime shows a increasing trend, then it suggests ongoing damage to the liver while a decreasing trend will suggest recovery. Your enzyme levels are not the worst I have seen, and my guess would be that it is on the recovering trend (esp since the AST level is almost normal).

So let me suggest that you continue your healthy lifestyle and get a repeat set of labs drawn in a weeks time. This will let us make a better judgement regarding the condition of your liver. It will also help if you could get a sonography of your liver to look for evidence of cirrhosis as this will need further evaluation.

Hope this has helped and hope you continue to feel better. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further clarifications.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
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Answered by
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Dr. Suresh Raghavaiah

Gastroenterologist, Surgical

Practicing since :2003

Answered : 164 Questions

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What Does AST 50 And ALT 90 Indicate?

Brief Answer: Levels mildly high. Will need repaet testing soon. Detailed Answer: Hi Ms XXXXXXX Thanks for taking the time to write to Health care magic. My name is Dr Suresh and I hope to answer your question today. First of all let me congratulate you on completing your de-tox program. Please do let me know what kind of de-tox it was (general de-tox, Alcohol, or for drugs) Regarding your question, AST and ALT are enzymes which are produced and stored inside the liver cells. Their normal levels in the blood ranges from 5-40 units and 7-56 units respectively. But when the liver cells get damaged for some reason (Alcohol, drugs, infections, hepatitis, etc) they release the enzymes into the blood and hence their levels rise. More the number of liver cells that get damaged, higher will the enzyme levels be. But since the liver has a great capacity to regenerate itself, these levels will go back to normal very soon, provided the inciting event for the damage is treated. In your case, the ALT is almost twice the normal limits while the AST is almost normal. Unfortunately a single test does not tell the entire story and we will need to look at the trend of the enzyme levels to make sense of it. If a repeat levels drawn after sometime shows a increasing trend, then it suggests ongoing damage to the liver while a decreasing trend will suggest recovery. Your enzyme levels are not the worst I have seen, and my guess would be that it is on the recovering trend (esp since the AST level is almost normal). So let me suggest that you continue your healthy lifestyle and get a repeat set of labs drawn in a weeks time. This will let us make a better judgement regarding the condition of your liver. It will also help if you could get a sonography of your liver to look for evidence of cirrhosis as this will need further evaluation. Hope this has helped and hope you continue to feel better. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further clarifications.