Elevated Liver Enzymes Causes
Elevated liver enzymes causes can range over a variety of underlying medical conditions and other situations. Some common causes of elevated liver enzymes are:
Adrenal insufficiency (insufficient hormone levels from the adrenal gland)
Alcohol consumption
Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
Autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary bilary cirrhosis, or other autoimmune disorders of the liver or bile ducts
Biliary tract obstruction
Certain infections
Crohn's disease
Diabetes mellitus
Disorders of the muscles
Excessive use of kava kava, comfrey, pennyroyal, skullcap, or certain other herbal supplements
Gallstones
Hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease, or other metabolic liver diseases
Steatohepatitis, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and fatty liver (hepatic steatosis)
High triglycerides
Liver cancer (rarely a sign of elevated liver enzymes)
Liver damage
Liver disorders
Medications such as some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cholesterol medications, anti-biotics or anti-seizure medicines.
Obesity
Prolonged circulatory system collapse (shock)
Steatohepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and fatty liver (hepatic steatosis)
Thyroid problems
Tumors of the liver, the pancreas or bile ducts
Ulcerative colitis
Viral hepatitis (acute viral hepatitis A, B; chronic hepatitis C)
Please bear in mind that this is not a complete list of potential elevated liver enzymes causes. Additionally, having one or more of these medical conditions does not mean that a patient must necessarily have elevated liver enzymes.
You should talk with your doctor directly regarding
treatment options for elevated liver enzymes, as the underlying condition may change which treatments are better or worse for your case. If the suspected cause has been found, it may be useful toward selecting a treatment method to undergo.
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