When your blood test shows ALT elevation, Alanine Aminotransferase is a liver enzyme that leaks into the bloodstream when liver cells are injured or inflamed. Also known as SGPT, it's one of the most common markers doctors check to assess liver health. High ALT doesn’t mean you have a disease—it means your liver is under some kind of stress, and it’s trying to tell you something.
ALT elevation often shows up alongside other liver enzymes, chemicals like AST, ALP, and GGT that help diagnose liver conditions. But ALT is more specific to the liver than AST, which can also rise from muscle damage. That’s why doctors focus on it. A normal ALT level is usually under 40 U/L, but anything above 50–60 starts raising eyebrows. Levels over 100 suggest something more serious—maybe fatty liver, hepatitis, or a reaction to medication. Some people see ALT spike after taking painkillers like acetaminophen, while others develop it from long-term alcohol use or even from a viral infection like hepatitis A or C.
Not every elevated ALT needs treatment. Many people have mild increases with no symptoms at all—often linked to being overweight, insulin resistance, or even intense exercise. But if your ALT stays high for months, or if other tests like bilirubin or INR are off, it’s time to dig deeper. Doctors may look at your liver health, the overall condition of your liver including fat buildup, inflammation, or scarring with ultrasound or FibroScan. They might also check for autoimmune markers, iron overload, or genetic conditions like hemochromatosis.
What you find in the posts below isn’t just a list of articles—it’s a practical guide to understanding what’s really going on when your ALT is up. You’ll see how common medications like statins or antibiotics can affect liver enzymes, how diet and weight loss can reverse early damage, and what to do when your doctor says "it’s probably nothing" but you still feel off. There’s advice on spotting hidden causes, like hidden alcohol use or herbal supplements that seem harmless but aren’t. You’ll also learn when to push for more testing, and when to trust that your body is just catching up after a rough patch.
Mild liver enzyme elevations from medications like statins or acetaminophen are common and rarely dangerous. Learn when to worry, when to ignore it, and why stopping your meds might be riskier than keeping them.
