What Does an Elevated an Increased Alkaline Phosphatase Level Mean?
Have you recently been told by your doctor that you have an increased alkaline phosphatase level? Elevated alkaline phosphatase levels are not uncommonly seen on routine laboratory tests and, in some cases, can indicate a serious health problem. Here’s how to better understand this laboratory finding. Alkaline Phosphatase Levels: How Are They Determined? Alkaline phosphatase levels are usually checked by drawing a tube of blood and sending it to the lab for testing. Alkaline phosphase is found in all tissues of the body, but most of it is derived from the liver and the bones. For this reason, elevated alkaline phosphatase levels can be found with liver or bone disease and can sometimes be the first indication of an underlying medical problem. It’s impossible to tell from a routine lab test whether the elevated alkaline phosphatase arises from the liver or frp, bone. To find out the source, a sample can be sent to the lab for fractionation to determine its source. Since liver enzymes ar