How to check your liver function at home
Liver damage rarely causes symptoms early on, so a blood test is the usual first check. You take a few drops of blood from a fingertip, post the tube to the lab, and receive each marker with its reference range by text message, usually within one working day of the lab receiving it.
What does the liver function test measure?
- ALT and AST, enzymes released when liver cells are inflamed or damaged
- GGT, an enzyme that rises with alcohol and with bile duct problems
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), raised when bile flow is blocked
- Bilirubin, the pigment that causes jaundice when it builds up
- Albumin and total protein, which fall when the liver has been struggling for some time
Signs of liver damage to look out for
Early liver disease is usually silent, which is why people test when they have a risk factor rather than a symptom. Later signs include tiredness, nausea, pain or fullness under the right ribs, itching, dark urine, pale stools, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Yellow skin or eyes, confusion, or a swollen abdomen need a doctor the same day, not a postal test.
Who should take a liver function test?
- Anyone who drinks more than the recommended 14 units a week, or who is cutting down and wants a baseline
- People taking medicines that can affect the liver, including statins, methotrexate and some antibiotics and antifungals
- People with type 2 diabetes, a high BMI or fatty liver on a scan
- Anyone with a history of hepatitis or a family history of liver disease
- People who have been told their liver enzymes were raised and want to recheck
How to take the sample
- You do not need to fast. Avoid alcohol for 24 hours and heavy exercise on the day, since both can nudge the enzymes up.
- Warm and wash your hands, prick the side of a fingertip and fill the tube to the line.
- Cap, invert gently, seal and post the same day.
