Liver Function Tests (LFTs)—also commonly called a liver panel or hepatic panel—are a group of blood tests that help assess how well your liver is working and whether it may be inflamed, injured, or blocked. The liver processes nutrients, makes important proteins, helps your blood clot, and clears toxins and medications. Because many liver problems don’t cause symptoms early on, a liver panel is a common way to screen for issues and monitor known liver conditions.

An LFT panel typically measures:

Liver enzymes (often ALT and AST, and sometimes alkaline phosphatase/ALP and GGT): These are substances released into the blood when liver cells are irritated or damaged, or when bile flow is affected. Higher-than-normal enzyme levels can suggest liver inflammation, liver cell injury, alcohol-related liver stress, medication effects, or bile duct problems.

Bilirubin (total and sometimes direct): Bilirubin is a yellow pigment formed when red blood cells break down. The liver helps process and remove it. Elevated bilirubin can contribute to jaundice (yellowing of the eyes/skin) and may point to liver disease, bile duct blockage, or sometimes non-liver causes such as increased red blood cell breakdown.

Proteins made by the liver (albumin and total protein; sometimes globulin is calculated): Albumin helps keep fluid in your bloodstream and carries hormones and medications. Low albumin can occur in long-standing (chronic) liver disease, malnutrition, kidney loss of protein, or inflammation. Total protein can help provide context about nutritional status and immune activity.

Blood clotting support (often prothrombin time/INR, depending on the order): The liver makes clotting factors. If clotting time is prolonged, it can indicate reduced liver synthetic function or vitamin K issues and is especially important in more advanced liver disease.

In plain language, LFT results help answer questions like: “Is the liver irritated or injured right now?” (enzyme pattern), “Is bile flowing properly?” (ALP/GGT and bilirubin), and “Is the liver still making key proteins and clotting factors effectively?” (albumin and INR). One abnormal value rarely gives the full story—your clinician interprets patterns, degree of elevation, symptoms, medication use, alcohol intake, and other labs or imaging.

Your clinician may order Liver Function Tests as part of routine blood work or when there are symptoms or risks suggesting possible liver or bile duct problems. LFTs are also widely used to monitor how well treatment is working or whether a medication is affecting the liver.

Common reasons a liver panel (hepatic panel) is ordered include:

Symptoms that may suggest liver or bile duct disease, such as fatigue, weakness, nausea/vomiting, poor appetite, abdominal pain (especially right upper abdomen), dark urine, pale/clay-colored stools, itching, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin/eyes).

Evaluation of abnormal findings, such as elevated liver enzymes discovered on routine labs, enlarged liver on exam, or abnormal imaging (ultrasound/CT/MRI) suggesting fatty liver, inflammation, or obstruction.

Screening and monitoring for viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, or C) after possible exposure, during pregnancy, or in people with risk factors (e.g., past injection drug use, certain healthcare exposures, or living with someone with hepatitis).

Monitoring alcohol use or suspected alcohol-related liver injury, especially when symptoms, lab patterns, or history raise concern.

Medication and supplement monitoring: Many prescription drugs (e.g., statins, certain antibiotics, anti-seizure medications, methotrexate) and some supplements can affect the liver. LFTs may be checked before starting a medication and periodically thereafter.

Metabolic risk factors linked to fatty liver disease (now often referred to as MASLD/NAFLD), including obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and metabolic syndrome.

Assessment of advanced liver disease: If cirrhosis is suspected or known, LFTs (plus INR and other tests) help track liver function and complications over time.

Possible bile duct blockage: For example, gallstones, inflammation, or other obstruction can cause a pattern of elevated ALP/GGT and bilirubin, often with abdominal pain and jaundice.

• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH)
• Alcohol-associated liver disease
• Viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, and C)
• Drug-induced liver injury (from prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen, or supplements)
• Cirrhosis and chronic liver failure
• Bile duct obstruction (e.g., gallstones/choledocholithiasis)
• Cholangitis (infection/inflammation of the bile ducts)
• Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)
• Autoimmune hepatitis
• Hemochromatosis (iron overload)
• Wilson disease (copper overload)

• Routine wellness screening as part of a comprehensive metabolic evaluation (liver panel/hepatic panel)
• Monitoring liver health in people with overweight/obesity, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or high triglycerides (fatty liver risk)
• Checking liver safety when starting or continuing medications that may affect the liver (e.g., statins or other long-term therapies)
• Tracking recovery and guiding care after hepatitis infection or other acute liver inflammation
• Monitoring known chronic liver disease (e.g., fatty liver, hepatitis B/C, cirrhosis) and treatment response
• Evaluating symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, itching, dark urine, or unexplained nausea
• Assessing potential alcohol-related liver stress and supporting risk-reduction goals
• Supporting overall metabolic health goals by identifying liver-related impacts of diet, weight changes, and insulin resistance