Posted: 1/31/2005 11:25:40 AM EDT
| I just received a call from a biomedical research center, where I had applied to be in a study for an antiviral drug. They decided not to include me in the study because upon analyzing my blood, urine, and vitals, they said my ALT and AST levels were too high. What's that mean, and what are the implications? They said they would exclude me from this and any future studies until I could get a follow up from my physician. That worries me a little bit. Any information would be appreciated! |
What many do not know --------- is cirrhosis affects non drinkers also. Or it may be a hepatitis related reading. |
well days before the screening, i ate mostly protein, very little carbohydrates. i was trying to shed a few lbs so that i would be within the BMI requirement for the study. also, I had a chocolate exlax to void myself of any excess poundage before my weigh-in  would any of that have anything to do with it? |
Do you have a medical condition that makes this study so important to you? That seems a tad extreme. |
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Since, doctors kill more people than guns, I would avoid seeking proper medical advice. Sorry, this forum just kills me with all the anti-doctor BS followed by "Damn, there's something wrong with me: "Doctors, Help!!" Seriously though, go see your family doc. Most tests are meaningless in isolation. ALT and AST are liver enzymes but that alone does not mean too much. You need advice from a physician, I would not freak out but I would be on the phone in the morning. |
Yup, that could contribute. If you do the high protein thing, also hydrate like hell. Elevated liver function tests can be something, or nothing. Go see your family doc instead of depending on advice from the likes of me. 
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AST: Normal Range is 7-40 (in micrograms/liter) ALT: same. Per Maxwell. ALT--Alanine Aminotransferase. An enzyme that is normally present in liver and heart cells. ALT is released into blood when the liver or heart is damaged. The blood ALT levels are thus elevated with liver damage (for example, from viral hepatitis) or with an insult to the heart (for example, from a heart attack). Some medications can also raise ALT levels. ALT is also called serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) AST--Aspartate Aminotransferase : An enzyme normally present in liver and heart cells. AST is released into blood when the liver or heart is damaged. The blood AST levels are thus elevated with liver damage (for example, from viral hepatitis) or with an insult to the heart (for example, from a heart attack). Some medications can also raise AST levels. AST is also known as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT). So, first and foremost--don't freak out. The ExLax might have even raised your levels, along with multiple other medications. Secondly--without firm numbers, it is hard to tell how elevated you are. You may "live" at the high end of the range all the time (that is why normal is given as a range), or even just out of the range (the range is a bell shaped curve, with most people falling within a certain # of standard deviations, and a few falling outside those limits naturally). Thirdly--you don't know what the cutoff for te study is. You may have an AST and ALT of 21 (still in "normal" range), but the study may have cut people off at 20. That being said, it is still a good idea to get checked out by a doctor to verify there is no underlying problems that raised the enzyme levels. AFARR |