Resolved question:
Hello-
I am concerned with the results of a recent blood chemistry test I had to take for new insurance.
I am a 27 year old, white male, 6 feet tall, weighing 238lbs. I was a college athlete five years ago and in good shape, I have since digressed into a sedentary lifestyle.
The two levels noted as elevated:
Cholesterol at 206 MG/DL (accepted range 140-200 MG/DL)
SGPT (ALT) at 56 U/L (accepted range 0-45 U/L)
-How concerned should I be about these numbers?
-What can I do to improve my health?
Thank you and Happy Holidays.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Internal Medicine Specialist
Hello,
Thank you for your consult at DoctorSpring.com. You don't have to worry much about these values. They are pretty much borderline and can be corrected with certain lifestyle changes like increasing physical activity, considering dietary changes, limiting alcohol intake etc.
Your BMI is slightly on the higher side(BMI>30 obese), hence trying to keep your weight under control becomes important. Eating right, following a regular exercise regime, losing weight would be the first step to manage cholesterol levels. If this does not help taking medicines called statins would help in managing high cholesterol levels.
Your SGPT values are slightly higher than normal and it could be related to obesity as well. Alcohol, certain drugs like antibiotics, tylenol, ibuprofen can affect SGPT levels.
Your report does not suggest of anything serious.
I would recommend that you consult your family physician for prescription medications.
Hope this helps. Do write to me for any follow ups.
Thank you.
Thank you. I am on 80mg prozac a day. Could this bump my ALT?
Theoretically yes, it could be one of the reason as the the drugs is eliminated via the liver. But it is not prudent to zero in Prozac without further evaluation.
First of withdraw any OTC medication (except Prozac) , excessive alcohol use for 3-4 weeks . If you are at risk of Hepatitis B or C (if not vaccinated against Hep and has high risk sexual behaviour) consider getting tested for this. Get a repeat test of AST alone after 3-4 weeks. Make sure you are not exercising too much during the week prior ( as AST is also produced from skeletal muscle).
Most likely the repeat AST should be normal. If not, further evaluation may be warranted.
Hope this helps
Feel free to ask followups
Thank you
Ok thank you and happy holidays
Happy holidays !
Wish you good health