AST ALT Ratio Calculator For Liver Diseases & Hepatitis

Ast Alt Ratio Calculator

• Ast Alt Ratio Calculator will help you with the diagnosis of various liver diseases.
• The Ast Alt ratio can assist in grading the severity of pathology in chronic liver disease including alcoholic liver disease and chronic hepatitis.
• Ast Alt Calculator will help to find the ratio of both parameters in your body to measure the actual ratio between these two.

Steps To Calculate Ast Alt Ratio

1. Enter AST Value in U/liter
2. Enter Alt Value in U/liter
3. Check the Ast Alt Ratio Calculation

Ast Alt Ratio Formula

The AST ALT ratio is calculated by dividing the AST result by the ALT result.

AST and ALT 

• Both AST and ALT are enzymes - proteins that accelerate chemical reactions.
• AST is non-specific to the liver; this means it can be found in other organs of the body, and its levels can be elevated for a number of different reasons, such as a heart attack, acute pancreatitis, or some infections, like mononucleosis.
• ALT is also a non-specific enzyme. It can be elevated in clinical situations, such as muscle damage, disease, or the use of certain drugs.

Normal Ast Alt Ratio

• A normal Ast Alt ratio should be <1.
• In patients with alcoholic liver disease, the Ast Alt ratio is >1 in 92% of patients, and >2 in 70%.
• Ast Alt scores >2 are, therefore, strongly suggestive of alcoholic liver disease, and scores <1 are more suggestive of NAFLD/NASH.

Ast Alt Ratio Chart

Here is Ast Alt Ratio Chart is given for Ast/Alt.

AST ALT Ratio

• While it may seem that a high ALT is all that is needed to diagnose liver disease, its relationship to AST can provide valuable clues as to what exactly is going on.
• It will also tell you whether the issue is acute (occurring suddenly and progressing rapidly) or chronic (long-standing or persistent).
• If the liver experiences an acute injury, you can expect to see a sudden spike in the ALT.
• On the other hand, if liver disease is slowly progressing, the damage in the liver will gradually affect other organs too.
• As these organs are damaged, the AST will begin to rise.
• This occurs with diseases like hepatitis C.
• It causes long-term liver damage that triggers symptoms involving:
  • Kidneys
  • Brain
  • Eyes
  • Skin
  • Joints
• These are referred to as extra-hepatic symptoms.
• The relationship between these enzymes is described using the AST/ALT ratio.
• This is a calculation that compares the levels of AST and ALT in your blood.
• Depending on which value is elevated and the amount of elevation, doctors can often get a pretty strong indication as to what disease is involved.

Ast/Alt Ratio High

Here is a possible cause of the Ast/Alt Ratio High value.

Ast/Alt ratio greater than 1

• A ratio of AST ALT greater than 1 can be indicative of cirrhosis - a scar tissue transformation of the liver that eventually results in a loss of its function.

Ast/Alt ratio greater than 2

• AST ALT ratio > 2 strongly suggests alcoholic hepatitis - an inflammation caused by the consumption of too many units of alcohol for a regular period of time.

High AST ALT Ratio

• Can be caused by factors located outside of the liver, such as hemolysis (the breakdown of the red blood cells), and muscle or thyroid gland diseases.

Low AST ALT Ratio

• The interpretation of an elevated and normal AST ALT ratio is based on many factors.
• We need to evaluate the value of the ratio and the value of its singular components.
• Your physicians will also check for other signs or symptoms of liver disease and will run some additional tests to verify their diagnosis:
• APTT, PT, or INR - measure the ability of your blood to clot. The time needed for your blood to clot will be prolonged if liver disease is present.
• In the case of ascites: serum ascites and albumin gradient - this simple test allows doctors to differentiate between the reasons pathological fluid may accumulate in your abdomen.
• Levels of albumin and proteins in your blood (while taking into consideration your protein intake).

Importance of Ast Alt Ratio

The AST/ALT ratio is important because its pattern can tell a lot about the condition involved. Here are the general guidelines used to diagnose liver disease

• An AST/ALT ratio of less than one (where the ALT is significantly higher than the AST) means you may have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• An AST/ALT ratio equal to one (where the ALT is equal to the AST) may be a sign of acute viral hepatitis or drug-related liver toxicity.
• An AST/ALT ratio higher than one (where the AST is higher than ALT) means you may have cirrhosis.
• An AST/ALT ratio higher than 2:1 (where the AST is more than twice as high as the ALT) is a sign of alcoholic liver disease.

AST ALT Ratio Need

• ALT and AST liver enzymes are produced by the liver.
• Doctors can test these levels with a blood test.
• If you have elevated liver enzymes, it could be a sign that you have liver disease.
• AST is found in the liver, brain, pancreas, heart, kidneys, lungs, and skeletal muscles.
• ALT is found mainly in the liver.
• The AST/ALT ratio is important because its pattern can tell a lot about the condition involved.
• On the other hand, if liver disease is slowly progressing, the damage in the liver will gradually affect other organs too.
• As these organs are damaged, the AST will begin to rise.
• If your AST levels are too high, it might be a sign of an injury affecting tissues other than the liver.
• High ALT levels may mean you have a liver injury. It could also be a sign that you have an infection or short-term illness.
• The ratio of the two enzymes can help diagnose specific liver diseases.

Summary

Overall, AST/ALT ratio used to diagnose liver disease and pattern can tell a lot about the condition involved. Check More Medical Health Related Calculator on Drlogy Calculator to get exact health solution.

Reference

• AST/ALT ratio - Wikipedia [1].
• AST (SGOT): Liver Function Test - Viral Hepatitis and Liver [2].