Blood Test Done. Found Elevated Alkaline Phosphatase Level. Should I Be Concerned?
Thank you for writing to us.
Alkaline phosphate (ALP) is a parameter used to check on the liver and/or the bone. When we have an increased ALP, the possible conditions could be:
1. Liver condition: When there are symptoms relating to a possible liver condition, then, along with the ALP we also look for any abnormalities in parameters like alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and bilirubin. An abnormality in these parameters, indicates a liver condition. This could be anything from an infection to a tumor. Thus further investigation will be required
2. Bone condition: If a bone condition is suspected then we will have to look in to parameters like calcium and phosphorus. If these parameters are abnormal, this points towards a bone condition resulting from increased bone activity. This could again range from a disease to tumors
Please also note that in rare cases when only the ALP is raised, the possible causes could be:
-Healing bone injuries (eg. fractures)
-Pregnancy
-Medication (eg. anti-epileptics, etc.)
and a few other conditions.
I would thus request you to first look into the other parameters mentioned above, and then consult your doctor for a follow up on the elevated ALP levels, in order to rule this harmless.
I hope you found my response helpful and informative. Do write back to me for any further clarifications, or you could rate my answers after closing this discussion.
Best wishes.