HomeAnswersHematologyfatty liverWill giving up alcohol treat fatty liver?

I am a chronic alcoholic, and my liver function test levels are raised. Does it indicate fatty liver?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. K. Shobana

Published At May 14, 2021
Reviewed AtMay 19, 2021

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I stopped drinking five weeks back before doing my blood work. I have some derranged values due to chronic alcohol consumption. Do these derranged values suggest fatty liver disease? I am not willing to drink again. My blood reports show AST of 67 U/L, ALT of 99 U/L, alkaline phosphatase of 99 IU/L, GGT of 393 IU/L, cholesterol of 7.7 mmol/L, bilirubin of 33 mg/dL, creatinine of 106 micromoles/L, and ferritin of 702 ng/L. My ferritin level always remains high for a few years ranging from 400 ng/L to 1100 ng/L. All the other blood results are within range. Kindly suggest.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your ferritin, bilirubin, cholesterol, and ALAT (alanine aminotransferase) are high. So you can have a possibility of having a fatty liver disease meaning alcoholic steatosis of the liver. I suggest you do investigations with ultrasonography of the abdomen to check the fatty liver. For now, you need lifestyle modification. Take less fatty foods and less refined foods. Drink more lemon water and fruit juices. I suggest you have a walk and do exercise daily for 30 minutes. If your BMI (body mass index) lies more than 25, then reduce your weight by having lifestyle changes. If a fatty liver is shown in sonography, you can take tablet Udiliv (Ursodeoxycholic acid) daily. Ferritin gets raised due to any inflammation and so your ferritin levels are elevated due to mild liver inflammation caused by fatty liver.

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

Do these raised blood values are a cause of concern? Will it affect my prognosis?

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Your values are not much elevated. You can able to control it by taking medications and lifestyle changes. Try to include more antioxidants in your diet like oranges and lemon juice. Prognosis will be good if you have lifestyle changes earlier. Have a follow-up with your ultrasonography report.

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

What does GGT indicate? I have an appointment with my doctor next week and I am attaching my ultrasound report with other investigations.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase) is a marker of liver and bile canaliculi damage. So it becomes elevated while having some form of damage in the liver or bile duct. It does not get elevated by dental plaque. You can have mild damage on your liver or bile duct. Ferritin levels remain raised due to inflammation. Your glomerular filtrate rate is low. As your ultrasound remains normal without any history of kidney damage, then this can be ignored. I suggest you consult a nearby internal medicine specialist for a physical examination. You can repeat your ultrasound again after ten days. Meanwhile, maintain a healthy lifestyle and allow the inflammation to subside.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Goswami Parth Rajendragiri
Dr. Goswami Parth Rajendragiri

Pathology

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