Liver Function Tests

Liver function tests (LFTs) are frequently requested blood tests in primary care. These tests are commonly slightly abnormal and may indicate underlying health problems, but may also occur as a natural response to minor illness.

The hospital laboratory and specialist team have developed an “Intelligent Liver Function Test (iLFT)” system for managing adults with abnormal liver blood tests.

Causes for abnormal LFTs

The common causes of abnormal LFTs are:

• Response to recent viral infection which will get better on it’s own
• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). This is estimated to be present in 20% of the UK population and lifestyle changes (healthy diet, exercise) are the main mode of treatment.
• Alcohol related liver problems.

Less common causes include things like autoimmune diseases, hepatitis (infection of the liver) and coeliac disease.

What does the Intelligent Liver Function process mean for you?

If you have abnormal liver function blood test results, you will be asked to make an appointment for a repeat blood test in 3 months. If the repeat liver function test is remains abnormal, the laboratory will automatically add further tests, such as screens for autoimmune diseases, coeliac disease, and infectious hepatitis (hepatitis B and C), to help identify the cause of your persistently raised liver function. If your repeat liver function blood test at 3 months is normal or only mildly elevated, the additional tests will not be automatically added.

If you do not consent to the iLFT blood test, please inform our staff during your blood collection. In this case, your repeat blood test at 3 months will only check your liver function (LFT, not iLFT) and will not include the additional tests mentioned above.