What is it and Sgpt for patients with liver function disorders?

Definition

What are SGOT and SGPT?

Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) is an enzyme that is usually found in the liver, heart, kidneys and brain.

Meanwhile, SGPT or serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase is the most common enzyme in the liver. Even so, SGPT can be found in other organs in small amounts.

SGPT and SGOT have the same function in the digestive system, which helps digest protein in the body. The levels of these two enzymes can be determined by examining liver function through blood tests.

What is the normal level?

In healthy people, these two enzymes will usually appear normal. Normal limits that should be owned are:

SGOT: 5-40 µ / L (micro per liter)
SGPT: 7-56 µ / L (micro per liter)

If you exceed this number, there is a possibility that you have liver function problems or other diseases. However, it is possible that the laboratory values may differ from one another. That is why, SGOT and SGPT tests are needed to detect liver disease early so that you can get treatment immediately.

Preparation

How is the preparation before the examination done?

This liver function test is usually done when you experience signs of liver damage, ranging from jaundice to changes in urine color.

SGOT and SGPT tests are also performed on patients who are undergoing treatment which causes higher levels of these two enzymes.

Before undergoing the examination, your doctor may ask you to avoid food and take medication. The reason is, certain foods and drugs can affect the results of examining your liver function.

In addition, you may be advised to wear short-sleeved clothing to make it easier for the staff to collect blood samples.

Procedure

What is the procedure for examining SGOT and SGPT?

Basically, the AST and ALT examination are the same as any other blood test procedure. The health worker will later take a sample from the blood vessel in the following steps.

Clean the skin.
Attaching an elastic band (tourniquet) to the area to be sampled.
Inserting needle into arm inside elbow or back of hand.
Draw the blood sample into the bottle.
Remove the rubber band and remove the needle from the vein.

This liver function examination usually only lasts a short time. Even so, you may feel a little pain as soon as the skin is injected by the needle.

Risk

What are the risks of this examination?

Both the SGPT test and the SGOT test have a low risk. However, it is recommended that you drink more water to prevent dizziness and fainting.

If you feel dizzy or unconscious after the test, notify your healthcare provider.

The health worker may ask you to stay seated and bring you water until you are well enough to get up and leave.

Result

What does it mean if the SGPT level is high?

If the ALT enzyme level (called ALT) exceeds 10 times the normal limit, you need to be vigilant. The reason is, a high ALT level can be a sign that you are experiencing certain diseases, such as

Hepatitis virus infection

Patients with acute hepatitis usually have quite high ALT levels. This can last for about 1 - 2 months.

However, some patients also take 3 - 6 months to restore normal levels of this enzyme in the liver.

Meanwhile, patients with chronic hepatitis may not experience as much increase as acute hepatitis patients. In fact, there are times when this disease actually reduces ALT levels in the liver.

Being exposed to drugs or poisonous substances

Apart from hepatitis, high ALT can also be caused by exposure to toxic substances or even drugs that damage the liver. Not only that, this condition can also be caused by decreased blood flow to the liver.

Other causes

A high ALT is not always caused by liver dysfunction, but is also influenced by other conditions, such as:

autoimmune hepatitis,
heart disease,
celiac disease,
alcohol abuse, and
thyroid disease.

What causes high SGOT?

If your AST test results are high, it means that one of the organs or muscles that contains this enzyme is damaged. This condition can occur in the liver, muscles, heart, brain, and kidneys.

The causes of an increase in SGOT are not much different from a high SGPT, including:

hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C virus infection,
circulatory system damage,
cirrhosis of the liver,
after having a heart attack,
alcoholic hepatitis,
exposure to toxic substances, as well
side effects of over-using drugs, such as acetaminophen.

Please note that the normal limits for SGOT and SGPT figures will vary. This is influenced by how the techniques and procedures are used when the results of this enzyme blood test are checked.

You can look at the normal numbers that are usually printed on the test results to know whether the levels of the two enzymes are high or not.

What happens if the SGOT and SGPT results are high?

If the results of the AST and ALT examination are high due to liver damage, there are several blood tests that you will need to undergo, such as:

albumin,
bilirubin, and
protombin.

Always discuss with your doctor regarding the results of the examination obtained to find out what treatment is right for your condition.

Tips

SGOT and SGPT enzyme levels will actually decrease over time. However, there are times when these two enzymes will adjust accordingly as the doctor addresses what is the underlying cause.

Apart from doctor's treatment, here are other ways you can help reduce high AST and ALT.

Avoid fatty foods

One of the causes of this enzyme that is a marker of liver damage to be high is fatty foods. You see, these two enzymes function to break down fat in the body.

If too much fat enters, the liver is unable to process it and causes liver cell damage.

Although not the main reason for liver dysfunction, you still need to avoid fatty foods. Increase your fiber intake by eating more vegetables and fruits to keep your liver healthy.

Stop drinking alcohol

Drinking excessive alcohol is a habit that often causes liver damage. How can?

The liver is an organ that plays a role in neutralizing and filtering toxins from the blood. Meanwhile, alcoholic drinks contain various toxic substances which will be processed in the liver.

If consumed too much and often, the liver is no longer able to process the incoming toxins, so that the liver cells are damaged. As a result, SGOT and SGPT began to increase.

Take medication according to the rules

Just like alcohol, medicinal substances that enter the body will be processed directly by the liver because they are considered as poison. Although they can relieve disease, some drugs can damage the liver when taken carelessly and in excess.

This is burdensome to the liver and the levels of these two enzymes also increase. Always consult your doctor regarding the drugs you will be taking, especially if you have liver disease.