What does it mean when GGT is high?
What does it mean when GGT is high?
GGT is an enzyme found throughout the body, but it is mostly found in the liver. When the liver is damaged, GGT may leak into the bloodstream. High levels of GGT in the blood may be a sign of liver disease or damage to the bile ducts. Bile ducts are tubes that carry bile in and out of the liver.
Should I be worried if my GGT is high?
Having a higher-than-normal GGT level in your blood may indicate that a condition or disease is damaging your liver. However, the GGT test alone cannot identify the specific cause of the damage. In general, the higher the GGT level, the greater the damage to your liver.
What are the symptoms of high GGT levels?
What Are Symptoms of High GGT Levels?
- Yellowing skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Abdominal distension from fluid accumulation (ascites)
- Pain or tenderness in the upper right side of the abdomen.
- Enlarged liver (hepatomegaly)
- Fatigue/tiredness.
- Feeling unwell (malaise)
- Lethargy.
- Loss of appetite.
What is a normal GGT level?
The normal range for adults is 5 to 40 U/L. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or may test different specimens. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.
Does high GGT mean fatty liver?
Frequently elevated GGT levels can be evaluated as a significant factor for changes in fatty liver. Elevated GGT in non-alcohol drinkers is sometimes a surrogate marker for fatty liver [13, 14]. Our data suggest that frequently elevated GGT levels are probably a good predictor of fatty liver changes to come.
What medications raise GGT levels?
GGT levels may be increased due to medications, such as carbamazepine, cimetidine, furosemide, heparin, isotretinoin, methotrexate, oral contraceptives, phenobarbital, phenytoin, and valproic acid.
Can GGT return to normal?
Gamma–Glutamyltransferase Levels typically rise after heavy alcohol intake that has continued for several weeks (Allen et al. 1994). With 2–6 weeks of abstinence, levels generally decrease to within the normal reference range, with the half–life of GGT being 14–26 days.
What causes high GGT other than alcohol?
Elevated levels may be due to liver diseases, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis, but they may also be due to other conditions, such as congestive heart failure, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or pancreatitis, which inflammation of the pancreas.