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Liver enzymes: Frequently Asked Questions

What are Liver Enzymes ?

Liver enzymes are proteins produced by the liver. Everyone has a low level in their blood. If the liver is damaged in any way more liver enzymes are released into the blood stream. A doctor would do further test if a high level of enzymes were found in your blood.

Can FMS cause elevated liver enzymes?

There is no data linking elevated liver enzymes with FMS. Of course researchers have been looking for years for any connection with anything, and any blood tests that might be off. The fact that none has been found so far is fairly conclusive. Remember that elevated liver enzymes are a result of some type of liver damage and no damage has ever been seen in FMS. There are other things that can cause liver problems. A common one is herbal medications, or a plant toxin, like, say, certain mushrooms or funghi. ...

What causes an elevated GGT when all the other liver enzymes are normal?

While GGT is very useful in assisting in the diagnosis of liver disease, the enzyme is found in the cells lining secretory ducts. Therefore, it is elevated in a number of inflammatory diseases and disorders including, pancreatitis, mononucleosis, hyperthyroidism, and kidney transplant patients.

Could liver cancer patients take Oncozac ® ? Would Oncozac ® elevate the levels of various liver enzymes?

Yunzhi is a liver tonic and decrease blood liver enzymes content after prolonged use.

Will Lipascor® raise liver enzymes (serum transaminases)?

Of the numerous published clinical studies, only very few cases of moderately raised serum transaminases (less than 2 times the normal) were reported. The changes were transient and were not accompanied by any clinical symptoms. There was no report of marked increase of serum transaminases (more than 3 times) during therapy with Lipascor® (xuezhikang®) in these studies.

Is the Bios Life with policosanol safe to use for someone who has confirmed statin problems including elevated liver enzymes and muscle problems?

The policosanol in Bios Life lowers cholesterol in a similar way as statin medications. A number of studies indicate that the policosanol had no effect on liver enzymes or other metabolic panel parameters after 12 weeks use. However there is no reason to believe that one can not take Bios Life forever. The ingredients have all been used for decades in people, and are part of normal diets around the world.
The policosanol in Bios Life lowers cholesterol in a similar way as statin medications. A number of studies indicate policosanol had no effect on liver enzymes or other metabolic panel parameters after 12 weeks of use. 22.

Does milk thistle really lower enzyme levels by protecting liver cells, or does it just help the body break down the enzymes so they appear reduced?

All clinical studies in this area, both in vitro (petri dishes, test tubes, etc.) and in vivo (live subjects), have shown that milk thistle extract reduces enzyme levels by actually protecting liver cells and reducing hepatocellular necrosis (liver cell death).

My liver enzymes are elevated, but I don't take steroids or drink alcohol. What's the problem?

While the aminotransferases are often referred to as liver enzymes, these enzymes are actually found in numerous tissues and their numbers often increase from exercise-induced trauma. These numbers are a good marker for people who drink alcohol constantly, or consume oral anabolic steroids. If the numbers are 100 times higher than the normal range in the aforementioned people, there's a good chance their livers are hurting.

Is the policosanol in Bios Life safe to use for someone who has confirmed statin problems including elevated liver enzymes and muscle problems?

The policosanol in Bios Life lowers cholesterol in a similar way as statin medications. A number of studies indicate policosanol had no effect on liver enzymes or other metabolic panel parameters after 12 weeks of use. 22.

Is the BiosLife with policosanol safe to use for someone who has confirmed statin problems including elevated liver enzymes and muscle problems?

The policosanol in BiosLife lowers cholesterol in a similar way as statin medications. A number of studies indicate that the policosanol had no effect on liver enzymes or other metabolic panel parameters after 12 weeks use. However there is no reason to believe that one can not take BiosLife forever. The ingredients have all been used for decades in people, and are part of normal diets around the world.

At what level of elevated liver enzymes should treatment with methotrexate be altered (how?) or discontinued?

Foster: I reduce a patient's methotrexate dose if he or she shows evidence of rising liver enzymes (ALT) on two successive visits, 3 weeks apart. If the enzymes continue to rise despite the reduced dosage, I stop the methotrexate altogether and choose a different medication for the patient. ...

Is there anything in Proanthozone that would cause the ALT and total bilirubin to be higher in liver tests? Could increased leakage of enzymes be caused by any of the ingredients?

"I have a client with a small dog that has been on Proanthozone for joint problems for a while with good results. However, I recently noticed a change in these tests. ") A: Dr. Mary Jo Burkhard, Dr. Robin Allison and Dr. Duane Lessen from the Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science at Colorado State University, completed a study whose first stage included evaluation of liver enzymes (including ALT & total bilirubin). ...

I was tested and do not have hepatitis C or B, but my liver enzymes are still high at 90. Why?

A number of other liver conditions should be considered. These common liver diseases are fatty liver, iron overload condition, and autoimmune liver diseases. At this point, it is advisable to seek the opinion of a gastroenterology specialist to make sure other causes of liver disease have been excluded.

Please explain what you mean by up regulation of liver enzymes and how it compares to statins. How does it cause liver damage?

Does polycosanols have similar effects as statins? No, polycosanols work different than statins. They are a similar mechanism, but not exactly the same. Statins bind to an enzyme that is responsible for synthesizing an intermediate molecule into the cholesterol pathway. Polycosinols work in a very different way and does not have the side effects that statins have. With statins, the liver starts to synthesize certain enzymes that indicate liver damage, with policosinols that is not the case.
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