The liver is a very important organ in the body and plays a significant role in nearly every organ system. The liver interacts with the gastrointestinal and endocrine systems to aid digestion and metabolism. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver.
This organ also handles cholesterol homeostasis and stores copper and iron. This organ is located in the upper right-hand side of your abdominal cavity, which is beneath the diaphragm. It is located on top of the stomach, right kidney, and intestines. It’s shaped like a cone and weighs about 3 pounds.
The liver contains about 13% of the body’s blood supply at any given time. The hepatic artery supplies oxygenated blood into the liver, while the hepatic portal vein supplies it with nutrient-rich blood.
Functions of the liver in the body
The liver regulates the levels of many chemicals in the blood, excreting bile, which carries waste away from the liver. All the blood exiting the intestines and stomach has to go through the liver. In this case, the liver processes blood by breaking down, balancing, and creating nutrients. This organ also metabolizes drugs into non-toxic forms that the body can easily use.
The liver has over 500 functions in the body. However, there are specific functions that it’s majorly known for. These include:
- Bile production aids in carrying waste from the liver and breaking down fats in the small intestines during digestion.
- It converts excess glucose in the blood into glycogen stored in the body for later use when needed.
- Production of some proteins for blood plasma
- The liver regulates the level of amino acids in the blood. Amino acids are commonly known to be the building blocks of protein.
- Conversion of ammonia (which is poisonous) into urea and end product of protein metabolism that can be excreted through urine
- Regulating blood clotting
- Clearing bilirubin from red blood cells. When there is excess bilirubin, the eyes and skin turn yellow.
- Clearing drugs and other harmful substances from the blood.
- Making immune factors to resist infection and removing bacteria from the bloodstream.
- It processes hemoglobin for the use of its iron content.
When the liver has done its part, all harmful substances extracted from it either go into the blood or bile. Bile byproducts leave the body by going into the intestines and leaving in the form of feces. The kidneys will filter the byproducts excreted into your blood and excreted through urine.
What is a liver function test?
A Liver Function Test measures your urine for substances produced by your liver. These measurements help a professional determine whether your liver is doing its job diligently or malfunctioning. A liver function test looks for specific proteins, enzymes, and byproducts the liver produces to know how well it works.
Usually, a substance like bilirubin isn’t supposed to be in your urine. However, its presence indicates an early sign of a liver condition. The body makes bilirubin, a yellow substance, during the usual process of breaking down red blood cells. However, the liver uses it to produce bile which aids digestion.
A normal functioning liver removes most, if not all, bilirubin from your body. However, if a liver function test indicates that there’s some of it in your urine, it means that your liver hasn’t been processing it, and it’s been building up in your body.
When do you need a liver function test?
Usually, a liver function test helps you determine whether your liver is working correctly or not. It is safer to have this information handy. Catching signs of liver disease or hepatitis in its early stages helps you manage it before it gets out of hand.
If you already have liver disease, this test helps you monitor the function of your liver to know if the treatment is working. A liver test is also necessary to monitor the effects of certain medications that commonly affect the liver.
A liver function test can also help you monitor how badly your liver has been affected by an illness such as cirrhosis. You may also need this test if you have liver disease symptoms. These include:
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Jaundice
- Dark-colored urine
- Nausea and vomiting
- Light-coloured stool
- Fatigue
Certain risk factors put you at a disadvantage when it comes to liver disease. When you have these risk factors, you must check your liver health whenever possible. Risk factors of liver disease include:
- Family history of liver disease
- Exposure to hepatitis
- Alcohol use disorder
- Consuming medicines that can cause liver damage
What can a liver function test diagnose?
Here are many ways your doctor can interpret liver function test results. However, if the urine test is positive, your health provider will probably need a blood test to help get to the root of your problem. Imaging tests, biopsies, and blood tests for specific viruses will be necessary before your provider diagnoses your condition. However, some common diagnoses from a liver function test include:
- Toxic hepatitis
- Wilson’s disease
- Cirrhosis
- Liver cancer
- Fatty liver disease
- Viral hepatitis (A, B or C)
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Hemochromatosis
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
- Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)
When doing a Liver Function Urine Test, you will have all the instructions to take the test and understand the results. You can always go to your healthcare provider if the results aren’t good for further analysis for a complete diagnosis.
Final thoughts
A Liver Function Test is the easiest way to check your liver’s health. A simple, non-invasive urine test can say a lot about how your liver is doing. It will also help you check for how some medicines impact your body or even keep track of other diseases to see if the medication works. It is best to get a liver function test when you can since the earlier you’re aware of your health, the better. If you get bad results from your test, you need to contact your doctor for further tests to see what’s bugging your liver and how to fix it.
