Liver Function Test (LFT)
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.
- DHA-licensed lab
- Includes Doctor Consultation
- Physician-reviewed
- Same Day Collection
24 hours
Turnaround
Blood
Sample
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.
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.
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.
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.
Medically reviewed by Dr Nirupama Sabhapathy
This test is reported descriptively rather than on a numeric scale: each finding below explains what your report may say.
This panel reports several liver markers (bilirubin, ALT, AST, ALP, proteins and more). See your detailed report for individual values.
Ranges are a guide: your physician interprets your result alongside your symptoms and history.
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.
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.
- 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.
Liver Function Test (LFT) is also part of these health checkups, which add a wider screen in the same appointment.
Liver Function Test (LFT) also comes in these focused packages, which pair it with the tests usually read alongside it.
- BiochemistryAlanine Aminotransferase (ALT/SGPT)
ALT is a liver enzyme that is released into the blood when liver cells are damaged. This test helps detect liver inflammation or injury from…
15View - BiochemistryGamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)
GGT is a liver enzyme that is particularly sensitive to alcohol use and bile duct obstruction. Elevated levels can help differentiate liver from bone…
25View - BiochemistryBilirubin, Total
Total bilirubin combines direct and indirect bilirubin levels. It is a standard part of liver function panels and helps assess liver health, bile…
15View - BiochemistryAlbumin
Albumin is the most abundant protein in blood, produced by the liver. Low levels can indicate liver disease, kidney disease, or malnutrition. A…
15View
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→The pattern. The panel reports ALT and AST, ALP and GGT, bilirubin, albumin and total protein side by side, and their relationship tells your doctor whether the liver cells are irritated, bile is not draining freely, or the problem may be bone rather than liver. Albumin and bilirubin add a sense of how well the liver is actually working, which no single enzyme gives.
Bilirubin shows whether the liver is clearing waste properly, and a high level can cause yellowing of the skin and eyes. When it rises together with ALP and GGT, it points towards bile ducts blocked by gallstones or a narrowing. When it rises with ALT and AST, the liver cells themselves are more likely to be involved. Your doctor uses the whole pattern, and often imaging, to find the cause.
Mild abnormalities are common and often reversible, especially those linked to weight, alcohol, exercise or medicines. Your doctor will usually review what you take and how much alcohol you drink, then repeat the panel, because a single result is a snapshot and the trend matters more. Persistent or clearer abnormalities lead to further tests such as viral hepatitis screening and an ultrasound.
Yes, and they are among the most frequent explanations for an unexpected result. Paracetamol, other prescription medicines, herbal remedies, protein powders and bodybuilding supplements can irritate liver cells or slow bile flow. Tell your doctor about everything you take, including products bought without a prescription; do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
Yes. Strenuous exercise, heavy weight training, deep-tissue massage and muscle injury release AST from muscle, which can suggest liver injury that is not there. For that reason it is best to skip hard training for a day or two before the test. If AST is raised on its own after a heavy workout, your doctor may simply repeat the panel.
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.
GGT is sensitive but not specific: it responds to alcohol, to several medicines and to fatty liver, and it can be mildly raised without any serious problem. Its main use is as a companion to ALP, since a raised ALP with an ordinary GGT usually means the ALP is coming from bone rather than liver.
Yes, and this is an important limitation. Enzymes leak from living, inflamed cells, so in advanced scarring there may be less tissue left to leak them. This is why symptoms, imaging and albumin trends are weighed alongside the enzyme figures.
Often, as a modest rise in ALT with or without GGT, but not always; fatty liver can be present with an ordinary panel. Ultrasound or a dedicated scan is the usual way to confirm it, and the panel is used to follow the response to weight, diet and activity changes over time.
Fasting is not required for the liver panel itself, but it is often booked with glucose or lipid tests that need an overnight fast, so follow the instruction for your whole request. Avoid alcohol for a few days beforehand, since even a single heavy episode can lift GGT.
The liver function test is AED 89, including a physician-reviewed report, with results usually within 24 hours. Home collection anywhere in Dubai is free when your order reaches AED 300 or includes a package; below that, a AED 100 home collection fee applies (AED 50 for a lab walk-in).