Alkaline phosphotase

[foxglove]

What does it mean when alkaline phosphatase is slightly raised? - 133 Lab range,30-130

[greygoose]

Could mean many, many things. And, other tests will surely have been done to back it up. But, I don't think yours was high enough to worry about.

[foxglove in reply to greygoose]

Thanks, told nothing to worry about, told to repeat bloods in 3 months lft to include ggt. Alkaline phosphate also 133 in serum bone test, not sure if this also has to be repeated!

[greygoose in reply to foxglove]

I'm afraid I don't know.

[bantam12 in reply to foxglove]

A level of 133 is barely out of range and is more than likely to do with blood collection and testing. Drs don't get worried until levels are many 100s over range and over several repeat tests. You also have to look at it along with other liver enzymes, if they are ok then probably just a blip, raised liver enzymes are also common with thyroid disease.

[foxglove in reply to bantam12]

Thanks for this reassuring reply, I'm a natural "Worry Wart" - doesn't take much to make me panic!!!!. Dr. doesn't give any reason for tests repeat and a phone call from secretary saying "not to worry" only has the opposite effect. Bone serum test shows same result

Just being nosy, how come you have so much knowledge about the Alk Phos.? Personal experience?

[bantam12 in reply to foxglove]

My liver enzymes ALP, ALT and GGT have been way over range for 10+ years, Alk Phos over 400 at times, they naturally go up and down which is why a one off is nothing to panic over. I've had numerous scans, tests and liver biopsies and no cause found.

If your next test comes back high end then your Dr may send you for an ultrasound but honestly in my experience unless you are up in the 100s or 1000s Gastro Consultants would not be interested in going further than blood tests and ultrasound.

[foxglove in reply to bantam12]

Thanks!

[humanbean]

There are some blood tests which can give useful information for both liver function and kidney function and, as in this case, bone health.

The Alkaline Phosphatase test you've had done will just have been done once, but it will be reported in more than one place if it is relevant to other investigations. So, in this case your ALP has relevance to your liver but also to your bone health. It isn't two tesst - it's one test that has been reported in two places.

An example I've seen in my own tests is Albumin. That gets reported in liver function testing and kidney function testing, and its an identical measurement each time.

[foxglove in reply to humanbean]

Thanks for info!