Skip to content 
What will doctors do with this test?
Not having any AST in your blood is uncommon because we always have some, but it shouldn’t be over 35 or 40 IU/L, depending on the laboratory. In most cases of liver disease, this number goes up dramatically. So, if you had an exam with slightly higher values, there’s a high chance that your doctor will repeat the exam.
In almost every disease, the AST level is lower than ALT, but there are two exceptions to the rule. In alcoholic liver disease and patients with advanced fibrosis, AST can be higher than ALT. When doctors see this trend, they do not only realize there’s a hepatic problem but also have clues as to its nature and causes.
It is essential to understand that AST and ALT bind with other substances in the blood, and their levels stay very high for weeks or months after recovering from the hepatic disease. So, expect to have high AST levels in your blood for some time after you’re done with the treatment and feel completely fine.
