Your doctor can compare the amount of ALT to AST in your blood to find out whether you have liver damage or a problem with another organ, such as your heart. Your doctor might also do other tests of enzymes and proteins your liver makes, such as: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) Bilirubin.

What does AST and ALT check for?

AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) are reasonably sensitive indicators of liver damage or injury from different types of diseases or conditions, and collectively they are termed liver tests or liver blood tests.

What causes elevated AST and ALT?

Chronic alcohol consumption, drugs, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and chronic viral hepatitis are common causes associated with raised ALT and AST. In chronic viral hepatitis, the elevation of liver enzyme may not correlate well with the degree of liver damage.