Q: I had a liver function test done in earlier this year and again last month. The readings are as follows: Total Bilirubin - 0.7 mg/dl; Direct Bilirubin - 0.1; Total protein - 7.0; Albumin - 4.0; Globumin - 3.0; A/G ratio - 1.2:1; SGOT - 52; SGPT - 66; Alk Phosphatase - 96. Are the above readings a cause for concern? What does a high SGOT & SGPT indicate? What should be done to bring these down to a reasonable level? The lipid profile test done shows a high triglyceride level of 342 and a total cholesterol level of 220. Please advise.

A:High liver enzymes can be due to several causes. The most common is virus infections such as hepatitis B and C. You should get tests to rule out such infections. Another common cause is fatty liver, which in your case may be related to high triglyceride and cholesterol levels. You should get these levels down by a combination of low fat diet, regular exercise (at least 30 minutes a day) and lipid lowering medication.