Liver Function Study Guide: Tests, Functions, and Disorders

This detailed study guide provides a comprehensive overview of liver function, including its essential metabolic roles, diagnostic tests, and common liver diseases. Perfect for healthcare professionals, medical students, or anyone seeking to understand liver health, this guide covers everything from basic liver functions to interpreting liver function tests (LFTs) and managing liver-related disorders.
 
Key Features:
Liver Functions: Learn about the liver’s critical roles in bile production, carbohydrate metabolism (gluconeogenesis, glycogenesis), lipid synthesis, protein production (e.g., albumin and clotting factors), and detoxification (e.g., ammonia to urea conversion).
Bilirubin Metabolism: Understand how the liver processes bilirubin and excretes it through bile, and the importance of this pathway for normal digestion and preventing jaundice.
 
Liver Function Tests (LFTs): A detailed breakdown of key components of LFTs, including bilirubin, AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), GGT, albumin, and prothrombin time (PT), and what each marker reveals about liver function and health.
Interpreting AST/ALT Ratios: Learn how to use AST and ALT levels to diagnose liver damage, including specific patterns like higher AST:ALT ratios in alcoholic liver disease and higher ALT in viral hepatitis or NAFLD.
Common Disorders: Information on liver diseases such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, cholestasis, and liver cancer (including hepatocellular carcinoma), with a focus on diagnostic markers like AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) and ammonia levels.
 
Clinical Applications: Explore how to assess liver dysfunction, interpret LFTs in the context of various liver diseases, and understand the implications for treatment, including the management of ascites, oedema, and coagulopathy.
 
Whether you're preparing for exams, managing liver disease in clinical practice, or simply interested in understanding liver health, this guide offers clear, structured, and thorough information to help you navigate this complex organ's functions and disorders.