What are Liver Function Tests (LFT)?

What Are Liver Function Tests?

Liver function tests help determine the health of your liver by measuring levels of proteins, enzymes, or bilirubin in your blood.

Many tests can be performed on the liver, but most of them do not measure the overall function of the liver. The most widely used tests to check liver function are the albumin test and the bilirubin test. These tests measure how well the liver creates albumin, a protein, and disposes of bilirubin, a waste product of the blood.

Albumin is the main protein made by the liver. It performs many important bodily functions. For instance, albumin:

• stops fluid from leaking out of blood vessels
• nourishes tissues
• transports hormones, vitamins, and other substances throughout the body.

An albumin test measures how well the liver is making this particular protein. A low result on this test indicates that the liver is not functioning properly.

Bilirubin, on the other hand, is a waste product ordinarily processed by the liver. This waste product is caused by the breakdown of red blood cells. It passes through the liver before being excreted through your stool.

If your liver is damaged, it cannot properly process bilirubin. This will lead to an abnormally high level of bilirubin in the blood. Thus, a high result on the bilirubin test indicates that the liver is not functioning properly.