What does it mean when gamma GT is high?
GGT is an enzyme found throughout the body, but it is mostly found in the liver. When the liver is damaged, GGT may leak into the bloodstream. High levels of GGT in the blood may be a sign of liver disease or damage to the bile ducts. Bile ducts are tubes that carry bile in and out of the liver.
What causes raised gamma GT levels?
Elevated levels may be due to liver diseases, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis, but they may also be due to other conditions, such as congestive heart failure, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or pancreatitis, which inflammation of the pancreas.
What drugs cause high gamma GT levels?
GGT levels may be increased due to medications, such as carbamazepine, cimetidine, furosemide, heparin, isotretinoin, methotrexate, oral contraceptives, phenobarbital, phenytoin, and valproic acid. Smoking may cause elevated GGT levels.
Why is GGT high in non alcoholics?
Frequently elevated GGT levels can be evaluated as a significant factor for changes in fatty liver. Elevated GGT in non-alcohol drinkers is sometimes a surrogate marker for fatty liver [13, 14]. Our data suggest that frequently elevated GGT levels are probably a good predictor of fatty liver changes to come.
Can aspirin cause elevated liver enzymes?
Aspirin can cause several forms of liver injury: in high doses, aspirin can cause moderate to marked serum aminotransferase elevations occasionally with jaundice or signs of liver dysfunction, and in lower doses in susceptible children with a febrile illness aspirin can lead to Reye syndrome.
Is aspirin hard on your liver?
Nonprescription pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others) can damage your liver, especially if taken frequently or combined with alcohol.
Can daily aspirin cause elevated liver enzymes?
What medications can cause gamma GT to be elevated?
People who take NSAID medication on a regular basis will have elevated Gamma GT levels. Statins, antibiotics, histamine blockers, antidepressants, hormone therapies, and antifungal medication all have the potential to cause a false positive result.
What is an elevated gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase level?
An elevated level of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, or gamma GT, is defined as any level above 51 international units per liter. Normal range for gamma GT is anywhere between 0 and 51 international units per liter. Gamma GT is an enzyme that is tested to detect diseases of the liver or bile duct.
What does it mean if your gamma GT is high?
In general, elevated levels of gamma GT in the blood point to a problem with the liver or bile duct, though elevated levels do not indicate a specific disease, rather they serve to indicate that an issue exists. This test is ordered when patients are experiencing weakness, nausea, jaundice, dark urine and itching.
Does gamma-glutamyltransferase predict outcome in chronic heart failure?
Ess M, Mussner-Seeber C, Mariacher S, et al. Gamma-glutamyltransferase rather than total bilirubin predicts outcome in chronic heart failure. J Card Fail. 2011;17:577–84.