Question for the Lab Experts

Today I received a notice from my health insurance that I may have chronic liver disease.  That's strange, as both my surgeon's office and my PCP routinely track my labs.  I reviewed my labs, and my ALT is at the top of the range, but still in range.    I am struggling with protein deficiency,  which both docs are keeping a close eye on. This leads to low TIBC, low prealbumin, and low total protein.

Could this notice be due to the fact that I'm struggling with a protein deficiency?

Thanks

I think they've flipped their proverbial gourds. lol

What are your AST and ALT? Mine stay just over the top of the range and I take milk thistle to keep them that low. Surgeon says he'd be worried if it were 3 or 4 times over the top of the range but as they are now, not too worried.

--gina

Gina
ALT:  46   (range 2-46)
AST:  25   (range 10-41)

so both are within range, but ALT is at the top.

I wish mine were as pretty as yours. Nothing to worry about. :)

--g

I agree with Major Mom. The docs start worrying about increased liver values at 2-3 times the normal high. Also, during the first year, your liver is working overtime getting rid of waste products, so it is common for the liver enzymes to be a bit elevated. My were a bit elevated but started coming down around the year mark.

It was probably a computer glitich and the letter was printed out, because the liver enzyme was elevated. No worries.

Thank you both for the clarity.  I appreciate it.

I am not quite sure they got it from anyway - your labs done show it in anyway and the health insurance only knows that labs are run, they do not get results - that is a privacy issue and unless you release the results to them, they shouldnt know your results.  So, unless you did some special testing for them - like a genetic testing through the insurance company that they would have seen, I am not sure where they would have gotten this.

I have seen this done when some companies do physicals people before they are hired = they inclued certain genetic markers as a way for the insurance company to be able to say they dont have to pay due to preexisting conditions.  It is a cheap trick and alot of the times people arent' even aware they have these things but once it shows up on paper in the blood, they cant fight it.

I would call the number on the letter and ask them where they got there information from - either way - one high labs wouldnt indicate a chronic liver condition - yours doesnt even show an acute condition

actually when you have low protein levels and you become malnurished due to this, you end up with low AST and low ALT levels.  To be sure you might was to ask for a GGT level - this is the most accurate liver function test but not often run.  If your AST and ALT are low due to protein deficiency, they could be masking a liver condition.