How are healthy people evaluated for mild to moderate rises in aminotransferase levels?
Evaluation of healthy individuals with abnormal liver enzymes needs to be individualized. A health care practitioner may ask for the individual’s blood test data from old records for comparison. If no old records are available, the health care practitioner may repeat blood tests in weeks to months to see whether these abnormalities persist. He/she will search for risk factors for hepatitis B and C, including sexual exposures, history of blood transfusions, injectable drug use, and occupational exposure to blood products. A family history of liver disease may raise the possibility of inherited diseases such as hemachromatosis, Wilson’s disease, or alpha-1- antitrypsin deficiency. A complete list of routine medications including over-the-counter medications needs to be reviewed as well. A complete physical examination by the health care practitioner is another important part of the evaluation of abnormal liver tests. The pattern of liver enzyme abnormalities can provide useful clues to t
