Cholesterol in the body help make cell membranes. It also is
what bile is made from. However, too much cholesterol can clog
the arteries and cause heart disease. If your body did not have
enough cholesterol, your liver would make more.
The doctor usually places a patient on a diet to try to lower the
cholesterol...as it may be high because of consumption.
However, if the patient is faithful to the diet and the numbers do
not decrease...it may be hereditary conditions that has caused
it and he may then consider placing the patient on statin drugs.
The liver cells are what makes different enzymes in order to
speed up the process of the metabolism that they perform
and other functions. When the liver cells become damaged,
these enzymes will leak out and go higher on the blood tests
results. There is usually more enzymes the doctor checks
besides the ALT (though that is the main enzyme of the liver
since it is made 'mostly' by the liver cells...whereas the others
are found in other areas)...those other enzymes are the
AST, GGT, ALP.
The doctor also does other blood testing also:
The liver function tests known as the Bilirubin, INR, Albumin,
Pt, Ptt) to see how well the liver cells are able to perform
the many functions, that the liver does as a whole, to keep
the body well. He may even do the liver viral blood tests to
be sure that a virus hasn't entered the body and is using the
liver cells to replicate itself (this would be for Hepatitis A,B,C,etc.
To look up any blood tests you may have...this is a good site:
http://www.labtestsonline.org
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Since the ALT level is high...the doctor may be trying to put off
having you take statin drugs...mainly because these drugs are
harder on the liver. You need to have frequent blood tests
to be sure the liver is handling it well. So, it would be best
to follow the doctors orders to try and lower it.
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Liver sonogram (or ultrasound).
When the liver cells become damaged, the immune system of
the patients body will respond to this and may cause inflammation
to develop inside the liver...this would cause the liver to enlarge
in size and take on a spongy texture. High cholesterol and
triglyceride levels can lead to fatty liver disease. This means
that the fat develops inside the liver and causes pressure there..
that can damage the liver cells. The ultrasound can also
check for blood flow through the liver, if there are any growths
there, and other things.
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Fatty liver disease has different causes: weight gain (obesity),
fast weight loss, certain kinds of medications (like steriods,
diabetes, insulin resistance, high cholesterol/triglyceride levels,
metabolic disorders. If inflammation develops because of
these cause, it is known as NASH...or Non alcohol causes
of steatohepatitis (steato means fat, Hepato means liver,
itis means inflammation)...
If there is no inflammation that has developed, it may be
referred to as NAFLD...or Non alcoholic causes of fatty liver
disease.
However, there is also fatty liver disease that develops
because of alcohol consumption...Alcoholic Steatohepatitis.
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Most liver patients are told, NO alcohol and not to take
any medications that have not been approved by or prescribed
by their doctors.
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Follow your doctors instructions. If losing weight and exercise
is done in someone who is over weight and that is part of the
reason for this problem...then it can be reversed and the liver
cells can heal and the inflammation can be treated.
I hope this information has been of some help to you. Best wishes
Links to click on:
http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/fatty-liver.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_liver
http://www.gastro.com/Gastro/liverdisease/fatty_liver.aspx
http://www.medicinenet.com/fatty_liver/article.htm
No one blood testing is 100% accurate...many things can affect the
results of these tests. If the levels are not too high over what is
considered to be normal...then there is a chance that they will
go back into normal range with the next set of blood testing.