Brief Answer: diet and exercise needed Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX I would really like to know the details of your diet and habits in the last few days. Frankly with those lipids and mildly raised enzymes with normal bilirubins hint at the possibility of having a fatty infiltration of liver. I would suggest a good exercise regime and a strict diet as per the schedule that will follow. I will also suggest getting and ultrasound of the abdomen to confirm the diagnosis. And I would like you to tell me your height and weight. The details of the diet are as follows. The details are freely available on net, its called the DASH diet. Here are the details for your convenience- It includes the following 8 simple steps: 1. CUT ON YOUR SALT INTAKE. Too much salt entering your body pulls a pressure on your heart as fluid retention increases secondary to the salt intake. So, choose foods that are homemade and can be therefore controlled in salts. This of course excludes pickles, smoked or cured foods. And choose items in diet that are low in their inherent salt content. 2. STEP UP ON THE GRAINS. Eat whole grains like whole wheat breads, brown rice, whole grain cereals, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, unsalted pretzels and popcorn. This step up increases your fibre content, thereby lowering your cholesterol, and giving you that filling feeling so as to cut on those mid meal snacks. 3. INCREASE THE CONTENT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES in your diet. This way you can increase the vitamins and minerals in your diet, inclusive of potassium and magnesium in the fruits which help lower the blood pressure. The calories are mostly few. And the inherent fluid content is high. And let’s not forget the fibre content in these fruits and vegetables. And for those with a sweet tooth, fruits like bananas can be great to suffice that craving. 4. This also brings in the ideal point of RESTRICT THE SWEETS. One does not have to avoid them completely, but moderation is advisable. And use of fruits to satisfy that craving is a good idea. 5. POTASSIUM IN DIET. Potassium obtained from foods like sweet potato, bananas, and spinach help lower the blood pressure. Of course the people on potassium sparing medicines should be careful when they have high potassium diets. 6. GOOD OLD YOGHURT. It has the buzz words in each scoop full- “low fat”. And it’s a rich source of protein, calcium and those famous “Probiotics”. They enrich the nutrition while bringing down the blood pressure. And are also a known “gharelu nuskha” for acidity. 7. HAVE NUTS AND LEGUMES. These are good source of proteins, fibres and they help lower the risk of heart disease. Being a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, a modest intake of walnuts will help lower the risk of heart illnesses. 8. CUT ON FATS AND OILS. Now that is something that is not new to anyone today. When absolutely essential, vegetable oils like olive oil should be preferred over agents like butter. Limit egg yolk. And people who like non-vegetarian diet, lean meat and skinless chicken and fish should be preferred. i would also suggest that you repeat your tests after 15-20 days of starting these measures. Best of luck. Dr Saumya Mittal

---

Brief Answer: Be patient. Repeat an LFT Detailed Answer: Hello again. I can read the urgency in your query. But I must tell you there is no shortcut to liver remedy. The medicines are usually excreted through the liver and the kidneys. So there is always a possibility that any additional medicine you take may in fact cause further rise of enzymes. In fact, would it be safe if something is really going on and you would go on this ship? I mean how would you get good medical care on board a ship? And besides, think about communicable diseases like hepatitis. I will try to help you and request you to go through my response patiently and follow on the advice. First, I think that the liver enzymes were raised because of the alcohol intake 8 hours prior to test. I would say that is probably what has caused the liver enzymes to get raised. Besides your report you uploaded says SGPT- 92, NOT 180. I would suggest you have a liver function test repeated again. Use a good laboratory like Lal Path (read you were in Mumbai). Because if the liver enzymes were raised because of alcohol, they would have started getting back to normal. However, if they are still rising, we will have to do further tests to know why that is happening. The tests would include an ultrasound of the abdomen and the tests for hepatitis viruses. I would strictly suggest repeating a liver function test now. Please be patient and go through the test and let me know. If my suspicion is right and this is indeed alcohol induced, the report may have improved already. Best of luck. Dr Saumya Mittal

---