Liver test

[Amphrax]

My dad last year had a liver test and resulted a 37.

Now, a year later my dad had the same test and the result has come back 142 and has to go back to see the doctor/who ever a month later - August 2012.

I do not get on with my dad and never have done. But this is worrying me quite alot.

Any of the FH doctors here can give me any slight information if this is bad or not?

 

[Tilda]

Need to know the actual thing they're measuring. Liver Function Tests measure a selection of liver-associated markers.
Why is he being tested? Has he got any other symptoms? Does he drink lots? Is he obese/diabetic?

There's a million things this could be and its pretty much impossible to offer any useful advice without more information. Also, you're far better off seeing if you can go with your dad and hear things first hand. If you or he has questions, its quite alright to take a list of things you want to know/questions you have with you.

 

[Zenith.UK]

Liver Function Tests (LFTs) are a battery of tests to measure a number of blood chemicals specific to the normal working of your liver.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_function_tests
My personal example is LFTs being monitored alongside cholesterol tests. Mildly elevated ALT and AST could be a sign of something wrong, or just that you're overweight with high blood cholesterol.

I went to see a cardiologist a week or two ago to see if my particular mix of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and family history would benefit from medical intervention. My blood pressure pills are doing a great job without side-effects, and he agrees that statins would help with the cholesterol. He looked at my LFT and cholesterol test results and said that most people with high cholesterol have a particular profile of figures. My profile is slightly different, suggesting that high cholesterol may be hereditary in my case, but bad lifestyle doesn't help.

My point is that the results in themselves mean nothing. They need to be taken in context with something else before you can start worrying about higher or lower results than usual. Tilda is spot on saying that you should go along with your dad if you have questions. Some conditions are hereditary and pass down father to son, so it's in your interest to see if this is something you need to be aware of.