Skip to content
Intel Lab Diagnostics Dubai
Single Biomarker

Liver Function Test (LFT)

Complete Liver Panel

LFT is a comprehensive panel that evaluates liver health by measuring enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT), bilirubin, albumin, and total protein. It helps diagnose and monitor liver diseases.

BLOOD24 HOURSNO FASTING
AEDAED210
  • Free home collection
  • Physician-reviewed report

24 Hours

Turnaround

Blood

Sample

About This Test

What the Liver Function Test (LFT) test tells you

A liver function test is a panel rather than a single measurement. One report brings together the transaminases ALT and AST, the bile-related enzymes ALP and GGT, bilirubin, albumin and total protein. The name is slightly misleading, because only part of the panel measures how well the liver is working. The enzymes are substances that leak out of liver cells when those cells are irritated or injured, so they are best thought of as damage markers. Albumin and bilirubin come closer to true function: one reflects the liver's ability to manufacture protein, the other its ability to clear a waste pigment out of the blood and into bile.

The panel earns its value from the pattern across its components, not from any one line. When ALT and AST are raised well out of proportion to the rest, the picture is described as hepatocellular, meaning the liver cells themselves are inflamed, as happens with fatty liver disease, viral hepatitis, alcohol or a reaction to a medicine. When ALP and GGT dominate instead, the pattern is called cholestatic and suggests bile is not draining freely, whether because of a gallstone, a narrowed duct or a drug affecting bile flow. A raised ALP with an unremarkable GGT often shifts attention away from the liver towards bone. Bilirubin shows whether the disturbance has reached the point of affecting waste clearance, and albumin, which changes slowly, hints at whether a problem is long-standing rather than recent.

Mild abnormalities in this panel are common and frequently have an undramatic explanation, including fatty liver related to weight and metabolic health, a recent course of medication, alcohol over a weekend or even strenuous exercise lifting AST from muscle. The panel describes the direction and scale of a disturbance; it does not name its cause. That is why your doctor pays attention to the trend across repeat testing, and why an abnormal result is usually followed by a medication and alcohol review, viral hepatitis testing and an ultrasound rather than by a conclusion.

Sample type
Blood
Turnaround
24 Hours
Fasting
Not required
Best for
Adults & teens
Why Get Tested?

Routine screening for liver health, monitoring hepatotoxic medications, evaluating alcohol-related liver damage, and investigating symptoms like fatigue, jaundice, or abdominal pain.

  • Screening for silent liver strain

    Fatty liver and early liver injury usually cause no symptoms at all. A panel can reveal a disturbance long before anyone feels unwell.

  • Monitoring medicines and alcohol

    Several common drugs place a measurable load on the liver, and regular panels are how that is watched. The same panel tracks the effect of alcohol intake over time.

  • Separating liver from bile duct

    The balance between ALT and AST on one side and ALP and GGT on the other tells your doctor which part of the system is disturbed. That distinction drives what is investigated next.

  • Investigating jaundice or fatigue

    Yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, itching and unexplained tiredness are all reasons to look at the liver. The panel gives a structured first answer.

When This Test Is Ordered

Reasons your doctor may request the Liver Function Test (LFT) test

Your doctor may order this test for any of the reasons below. Some are routine checks, others follow specific symptoms or an earlier result.

  • Routine liver screening

    • Routine health screening, particularly alongside metabolic risk factors such as weight gain or diabetes.

  • Jaundice & other liver symptoms

    • Yellowing of the eyes or skin, pale stools, dark urine or persistent itching.
    • Unexplained fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite or discomfort under the right ribs.

  • Medication & alcohol

    • Ongoing treatment with a medicine known to affect the liver, at the intervals your doctor sets.
    • Regular alcohol intake, or an assessment of liver health after cutting down.
Preparation
The short version
No prep needed.
  • Blood
  • Free home collection
  • No fasting
  • Results in 24 Hours
  1. 1
    Book any time

    No fasting window: pick any slot that suits you, online or on WhatsApp.

  2. 2
    We come to you

    A DHA-licensed nurse collects your sample at home or in the office: free home collection.

  3. 3
    Results in 24 Hours

    A physician-reviewed, easy-to-read report lands securely by WhatsApp and email.

Prep note
Physician reviewed

Fasting is not required for the liver panel itself, although it is often booked together with glucose or lipid tests that do need an overnight fast, so follow the instruction given for your whole request.

Avoid alcohol for a few days beforehand, as even a single heavy episode can lift GGT and distort the picture. Skip strenuous exercise, heavy weight training and deep-tissue massage for a day or two, because muscle activity releases AST and can suggest liver injury that is not there.

Tell your doctor about every medicine, herbal remedy, protein powder and supplement you take, including paracetamol and anything bought without a prescription, since these are among the most frequent explanations for an unexpected result.

Understanding Your Results

Your report presents this as a Multi-parameter panel: ALT and AST, ALP and GGT, bilirubin, albumin and total protein, each with its own reference range. It is the pattern across them, not any single line, that carries the meaning. Raised ALT and AST out of proportion to the rest suggests the liver cells themselves are irritated: fatty liver, viral hepatitis, alcohol or a reaction to a medicine. Raised ALP and GGT dominating instead points to bile not draining freely, and a raised ALP with an unremarkable GGT often shifts attention towards bone. Bilirubin shows whether waste clearance is affected; albumin, which changes slowly, hints at a long-standing problem. Mild abnormalities are common and often reversible, and strenuous exercise, muscle injury or alcohol in the preceding days distort the picture. Your doctor reads the panel with your symptoms, medicines and the trend over time.

SmartReport

Liver Function Test (LFT)

Your report presents this as a Multi-parameter panel: ALT and AST, ALP and GGT, bilirubin, albumin and total protein, each with its own reference range. It is the pattern across them, not any single line, that carries the meaning. Raised ALT and AST out of proportion to the rest suggests the liver cells themselves are irritated: fatty liver, viral hepatitis, alcohol or a reaction to a medicine. Raised ALP and GGT dominating instead points to bile not draining freely, and a raised ALP with an unremarkable GGT often shifts attention towards bone. Bilirubin shows whether waste clearance is affected; albumin, which changes slowly, hints at a long-standing problem. Mild abnormalities are common and often reversible, and strenuous exercise, muscle injury or alcohol in the preceding days distort the picture. Your doctor reads the panel with your symptoms, medicines and the trend over time.

Multi-parameter panel

This panel reports several liver markers (bilirubin, ALT, AST, ALP, proteins and more). See your detailed report for individual values.

This test is reported descriptively rather than on a numeric scale: each finding below explains what your report may say.

This information is for general education only and is not medical advice. Reference ranges can vary by laboratory, age, sex, and individual factors. Always consult your physician or doctor to interpret your results.

Reading a High or Low Result

  • What a higher result can point to

    • Fatty liver disease linked to weight, insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.
    • Viral hepatitis, either a recent infection or a long-standing one.
    • Alcohol intake, which characteristically lifts GGT and often AST.
    • Medicines, herbal preparations and bodybuilding supplements that irritate liver cells or slow bile flow.
    • Obstruction of the bile ducts by gallstones or a narrowing, which raises ALP, GGT and bilirubin together.

  • What a lower result can point to

    • Chronic liver disease reducing the liver's ability to manufacture albumin.
    • Protein loss through the kidneys or the gut, lowering albumin and total protein.
    • Poor nutrition or prolonged malabsorption.
    • Dilution of the blood by fluid overload, which lowers albumin without any loss of protein.

These are possibilities, not diagnoses. A single value outside the reference range is interpreted alongside your symptoms, history and other tests: your doctor decides what it means for you.

Limitations & Safety

What this test cannot tell you

  • The panel shows that the liver is disturbed but never says why; imaging and further testing are needed to name a cause.
  • Results can look entirely ordinary in advanced, long-standing liver disease, because scarred tissue leaks fewer enzymes.
  • Strenuous exercise, muscle injury and some blood disorders raise AST from sources outside the liver.
  • A single panel is a snapshot; mild abnormalities often settle on repeat testing and are read in the light of the trend.

Risks of the blood draw

  • Mild bruising or brief soreness where the needle went in.
  • Occasional lightheadedness, which settles after a few minutes of rest.
  • Bleeding or infection at the site, which is rare with sterile single-use equipment.
Key Points
  • 1This is a panel of several measurements, read as a pattern rather than line by line.
  • 2ALT and AST reflect injury to liver cells; ALP and GGT point to bile flow.
  • 3Albumin and bilirubin come closest to describing how well the liver is actually functioning.
  • 4Mild abnormalities are common and frequently reversible, especially those linked to weight and alcohol.
  • 5An abnormal panel is a reason to investigate further, never a diagnosis in itself.
Related Tests
View all
Book in 60 seconds

Know your Liver Function Test (LFT).
No waiting room required.

A nurse comes to you, results land in 24 Hours, and a physician walks you through exactly what they mean.

AED210
Ask a clinician
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Liver Function Test (LFT) test. Can't find what you're looking for?

Talk to our team→

That combination is described as a hepatocellular pattern and points to irritation of the liver cells themselves, commonly from fatty liver, a viral infection, alcohol or a medicine. It steers the next steps towards viral testing, a medication review and an ultrasound rather than towards the bile ducts.