AST transfers an amino group
Biomarker library
Liver Health
AST
AST (aspartate aminotransferase) is an enzyme found in the liver but also in heart and skeletal muscle and in red blood cells.
Measured in your health assessment, with a doctor to explain your result. Book yours
Why it matters
Because it is less specific to the liver than ALT, AST is read together with ALT: the ratio between them hints at the cause of liver injury, and a raised AST with a normal ALT often points to muscle instead.
What a result can mean
Lower than the range
A low AST is normal.
Higher than the range
A raised AST can come from liver conditions, alcohol (where it often rises more than ALT), muscle injury or hard exercise, and some medicines.
What can help
Avoiding strenuous exercise for a couple of days before a test prevents a muscle-related rise. When the liver is the cause, the same steps as for ALT help: weight loss, less alcohol and an active life.
Read it with
NoteGeneral educational illustration. Colours, sizes and movement are simplified. This is not a scan or a simulation of your body. General information, not personal medical advice: a doctor reads your own results with your history.
Know your AST.
Measured in your health assessment and explained by the doctor who reviews your results.