Understanding
liver function.
Get insight into the blood markers used to assess your liver health.
What you need to know.
The liver processes nutrients, makes proteins and helps remove substances the body no longer needs. Liver disease has a range of causes and may have few obvious symptoms in its early stages. Blood tests can provide useful information as part of an assessment.
Signs & symptoms
- Persistent tiredness
- Loss of appetite or feeling sick
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Itching or swelling
Factors to discuss
- Regularly drinking too much alcohol
- Excess body weight and metabolic health problems
- Viral hepatitis
- Certain inherited or autoimmune conditions
What testing can tell you.
Liver function testing is included in Essential, Advanced and Performance & Longevity. Your results need to be interpreted alongside symptoms, medicines, alcohol intake and your wider medical history.
Abnormal blood results do not identify a specific liver disease on their own. Normal results cannot rule out every liver problem. Further tests or scans may be appropriate.
Your next step
If you have symptoms or a specific health concern, speak to your GP. If you’re choosing a routine health screen, review the package’s included tests or ask our team for help.
Further reading: NHS information on this topic