LFT: the liver function test, line by line
What does an LFT actually measure?
Not liver function, despite the name — which is the first thing worth knowing. An LFT measures substances in your blood that shift when the liver is under strain, and they shift for different reasons. Sort them into three groups and the wall of numbers becomes a sentence.
The first group is leak. SGPT and SGOT are enzymes that live inside liver cells; when those cells are irritated, some spills into the blood. The second group is flow. Bilirubin, ALP and GGT rise when bile is not draining the way it should — a plumbing signal rather than a cell-damage one. The third group is build. Albumin and total protein are things the liver manufactures, so they fall only after a long stretch of trouble, not after a bad week.
What does each line on the LFT mean?
Ranges differ slightly between analyzers, so read the range printed beside your own result rather than one from the internet. These are the values a typical adult report carries.
| Line | Usual adult range | Group | What moves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilirubin, total | 0.3 – 1.2 mg/dL | Flow | The pigment left over from old red cells. A mild lifelong rise is common and harmless in some people; a sharp rise turns eyes and skin yellow |
| Bilirubin, direct | 0.0 – 0.3 mg/dL | Flow | The portion the liver has already processed. High direct with high total points at drainage rather than at red cells |
| SGPT (ALT) | 7 – 45 U/L men 7 – 34 U/L women | Leak | The most liver-specific enzyme on the panel. Weight, alcohol, some medicines, a recent viral illness |
| SGOT (AST) | 8 – 40 U/L | Leak | Also lives in muscle and heart, so a hard workout can raise it without the liver being involved |
| ALP | 40 – 130 U/L | Flow | Bile ducts and bone both make it. Naturally higher in growing teenagers and in pregnancy |
| GGT | 8 – 61 U/L men 5 – 36 U/L women | Flow | The tiebreaker for ALP: raised GGT points the ALP at bile ducts, normal GGT points it at bone |
| Total protein | 6.4 – 8.3 g/dL | Build | Albumin plus globulin. Moves slowly, and dehydration can nudge the whole figure up |
| Albumin | 3.5 – 5.2 g/dL | Build | Weeks of history, not days. Also falls with protein lost through the kidneys, long inflammation, or low intake |
What does a high SGPT mean on its own?
Less than most people fear, and more than nothing. A mildly raised SGPT is among the most common findings on any routine panel in India. It says liver cells are irritated. It does not say by what, and one reading cannot separate the reasons.
Shakti, 24, came back with SGPT 62 U/L on a first panel. That is above the printed range and nowhere near dramatic — the kind of number that asks for a repeat in six to eight weeks rather than an anxious evening of searching.
Aira and Teresa explain what a marker means and coach the follow-through in plain language on WhatsApp. They do not diagnose and do not prescribe. Dr. Manju, MD Pathology, verifies every report before it is released.
The ratio matters too. SGOT sitting well above SGPT points somewhere different from SGPT sitting above SGOT, and GGT beside them narrows it further. That comparison belongs to your doctor, alongside your weight, your medicines and what you drink. If the pattern points at fat in the liver, what fatty liver is and how it is followed is the page to read next.
Does an LFT need fasting?
LFT Extended is listed as a no-fasting test with us, so an afternoon slot is fine. The catch is that liver tests rarely travel alone: if a lipid profile or a fasting blood sugar is on the same requisition, the fasting rule of that test governs the morning — plain water only, 8 to 12 hours, and never skip a prescribed medicine to make a slot work. Tell us the timings instead and we will note them on the sample.
What does a liver test cost in Kanpur?
The full price list is public and does not change at the counter. Your sample is barcoded at the chair, run on calibrated analyzers and reviewed by a pathologist before release; the lab is registered under the UP Clinical Establishments Act. Routine results are typically ready in about 6 hours,* and home collection is available and charged separately — the fee varies by area, so we quote it when you book.
Numbers alone are where most labs stop. In a Smart Report, SGPT sits beside SGOT and GGT with the comparison already written out, and what changed since your last sample is a sentence rather than a red arrow.
What should you do next?
Food. The liver notices sugar and refined carbohydrate more than it notices ghee. The everyday levers are the sweet drink, the second helping of rice and the evening namkeen — and adding protein and vegetables before the roti, which changes how the meal lands more than banning any one item does. Alcohol is worth an honest count in units per week, because that number is the single thing your doctor will ask first.
Movement. Roughly 30 minutes of brisk walking on most days is the dose the liver research keeps landing on, and it counts in ten-minute pieces. Two short strength sessions a week help, because muscle gives the body somewhere to put fuel. Skip the heavy gym session in the 48 hours before your sample — it can lift SGOT on its own and muddy the reading.
Habits. Keep a list of everything you take, including painkillers, ayurvedic and over-the-counter supplements, and show it at your appointment; several of them move these enzymes. Space retests at six to eight weeks rather than six days, because enzymes need time to tell you anything new. Sleep and weight both show up here eventually, so they are not a separate project.