Liver function tests are blood tests that help clinicians understand liver-related signals.
Common markers include ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, albumin, and sometimes clotting-related tests. Each marker can reflect a different part of liver or bile duct function.
Mild changes may occur for many reasons, including fatty liver, medications, alcohol exposure, viral infections, muscle injury, bile duct issues, or other conditions.
A result should be interpreted in context. A normal AST alone does not fully describe liver health, and an abnormal value does not always mean serious disease.
Useful questions include: Which liver marker is abnormal? Is the pattern liver-cell related or bile-duct related? Should I repeat the test? Do I need imaging or additional blood tests?