Elevated AST

I am a 45 year old healthy, normal  weight mother of 4.  I teach and live by a healthy lifestyle - eat only whole clean foods, plenty of omega's and antioxidants, don't drink, smoke, etc. and I exercise and strength train regularly.  I just had my routine blood work done and the results returned an elevated AST of 81. Don't know if it is related but I am also experiencing some pain in the lower left side of my back (assumed it was just a muscle strain from working out).

I am very concerned (since normal is x-y) and confused as to how this elevation could occur if I live such a healthy lifestyle? Please help me understand the cause of this result, what problem it indicates and if I should be as worried as I am! - thanks!!

[LivingInHope]

Hi!  I have an old book by Frances Fischbach  called "A Manual of Laboratory Diagnostic Tests".  It explains the test this way:

"AST is an enzyme present in tissues of high metabolic activity.  It occurs in decreasing concentration in the heart, liver, skeletal muscle, kidney, brain, pancreas, spleen and lungs.  The enzyme is released into the circulation following the injury or death of cells.

Any disease that causes change in these highly metabolic tissues will result in a rise in AST.  The amount of AST in the blood is directly related to the number of damaged cells and the amount of time that passes between injury to the tissue and the test.  Following severe cell damage, the blood AST level will rise in 12 hours and remain elevated for about 5 days."

Possible interference from a host of medications can cause elevated levels, so you might check with your pharmacist about your medications to see if any of them can increase AST levels.  

Also, increased AST can happen with:
"1. Myocardial infarction (MI)" which means heart attack where it may be increased 4 to 10 times normal, peaking in 24 hours and returning to normal by day three or four after the attack, according to the book.  It says secondary rises in AST/SGOT "suggest extension or recurrence" of heart attack.  

So, I think you will want to get your heart checked thoroughly!  It say though that elevated levels don't always mean heart attack and that severe arrythmias and severe angina of the heart can cause elevations as well.  It says for the diagnosis of heart attack, the AST/SGOT levels should be done for three days consecutively, since the peak happens in 24 hours and levels are back to normal in 3 to 4 days.

Another cause of elevated AST is

"2. Liver disease
(a) Level is always elevated in cirrhosis of the liver.
(b) In liver disease, the level may be 10 to 100 times the normal.
(c) Liver diseases associated with elevated AST/SGOT levels
(1) Acute hepatitis
(2) Active cirrhosis
(3) Infectious mononucleosis with hepatitis
(4) Hepatic necrosis" this means death of liver tissue
So, you will want to get liver related ailments ruled out.

In additon the book says,
"3. Other diseases associated with elevated AST/SGOT levels
(a) acute pancreatitis" (pancreas is behind your stomach organ)
"(b)Trauma and irradiation of skeletal muscle
(c) Acute hemolytic anemia
(d) Acute renal disease" (renal means kidney)
"(e) Severe burns
(f) cardiac catheterization and angiography
(g) Recent brain trauma with brain necrosis" (necrosis death of tissue)
"(h) Crushing injuries
(I) progressive muscular dystrophy"

So, what you really need to do is make an appointment today to follow up on this test result.