Zhang Dawei is a sales executive of a real estate company, and he is constantly socializing on weekdays, and eating and drinking has become the norm in his life.

On the day of the party, he and several old colleagues met at a barbecue restaurant as scheduled, and after eating a few bottles of beer and a few skewers of barbecue, the conversation gradually shifted from trivial matters of life to health problems.

Zhang Dawei was a little panicked in his heart, his recent physical examination report showed that his liver function was somewhat abnormal, and the doctor reminded him to pay attention to rest and drink less alcohol, especially several indicators of the liver were high.

But watching his colleagues chatting about health problems while eating skewers, Zhang Dawei muttered in his heart: Is his liver function index abnormal? Does drinking some alcohol and staying up late really hurt the liver so much?

Modern life is fast-paced, and many people ignore the liver as a "silent organ". Unlike other organs, the liver does not have pain nerves, which means that when the liver is damaged, there is often no significant pain or discomfort.

As a result, many people don't realize that their liver is "in a hurry" until they have a serious problem. However, it is precisely because of this "low profile" of the liver that regular check-ups are particularly important, especially the four key indicators of liver function: ALT, AST, GGT and ALP.

ALT (alanine aminotransferase) is a "barometer" of liver health. It is mainly found in liver cells, and when liver cells are damaged or inflamed, ALT is released into the bloodstream, resulting in an increase in ALT levels in the blood.

In Zhang's physical examination report, the ALT value was significantly outside the normal range, indicating that his liver cells may be damaged. The elevation of ALT is common in various diseases such as hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and fatty liver.

Many people think that only viral hepatitis can cause ALT to rise, but in fact, long-term alcohol consumption, obesity, and a high-fat diet can also make ALT high.

Zhang Dawei usually socializes a lot, almost every meal is inseparable from wine, plus he has a lot of work pressure, often stays up late and works overtime, and eats irregularly.

The doctor reminded him that the liver is the organ of detoxification, and the metabolism of alcohol requires the liver's efforts to break it down, but excessive alcohol consumption will make the liver unable to bear it, resulting in liver cell damage.

Many people like Zhang Dawei, who have been drinking alcohol for a long time, unknowingly "drink badly" their livers, only to find that the ALT is ridiculously high during the physical examination.

In addition to ALT, AST (aspartate aminotransferase) is also an important indicator in liver function tests. AST is found not only in liver cells, but also in organs such as the heart, skeletal muscle, and kidneys.

AST is also elevated when these tissues are damaged. Therefore, an abnormality in AST is not just a liver problem, but may also mean damage to other organs.

However, if ALT and AST are elevated at the same time, and ALT is much higher than AST, it is almost certain that there is a liver problem.

Although Zhang Dawei's AST is not as high as ALT, it is also hovering at the marginal value, which shows that his liver is indeed "complaining", but it has not reached the worst point.

Liver problems don't happen overnight, they are often the result of a long-term unhealthy lifestyle. Especially for middle-aged people like Zhang Dawei, they have a lot of work pressure, a lot of entertainment, and an irregular diet, which will accelerate liver damage.

It is worth noting that the liver's self-repair ability is very strong, and as long as you adjust your lifestyle habits in time, it has a lot of room for recovery. However, if these warning signs are ignored, the consequences can be serious once the liver's compensatory mechanism is broken.

In addition to ALT and AST, another important indicator in the physical examination report is GGT (glutamyl transpeptidase). This indicator mainly reflects the bile function of the liver.

When GGT is elevated, it usually means that there is a problem with bile secretion or excretion in the liver, which may be related to diseases such as bile duct blockage, liver tumors, etc.

Zhang Dawei's GGT value is also on the high side, which makes him a little nervous. The doctor explained that long-term alcohol consumption, fatty liver, drug abuse, etc. can all lead to an increase in GGT.

In fact, GGT is particularly important for the diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease, and many alcoholics will find abnormal GGT during physical examination.

What does an elevated GGT mean? Mr. Zhang's case is likely to be caused by alcohol.

Many people think that "drinking a little wine" is harmless, but in fact, alcohol not only damages liver cells, but also affects the bile metabolism of the liver, resulting in an increase in GGT. If the GGT is high for a long time and left uncontrolled, it may develop into alcoholic cirrhosis and even liver cancer.

The last indicator to watch out for is ALP (alkaline phosphatase). ALP is mainly found in the liver and bones, reflecting the bile metabolism of the liver and the growth of bones.

If ALP is elevated, it often indicates biliary obstruction or inflammation of the hepatobiliary system. Zhang Dawei's ALP also has a slight abnormality, although it does not make him immediately worry about liver and gallbladder problems, but if he does not pay attention to it for a long time, it may cause cholecystitis or cholelithiasis and other problems.

In modern society, there are not a few people like Zhang Dawei. Many middle-aged people are busy with work and life, ignoring the health of the liver, and abnormal liver function is often the result of the accumulation of long-term poor lifestyle.

A real-life case may make everyone more vigilant. Mr. Li, a 48-year-old company owner, has been drinking for a long time, and his liver function is slightly abnormal during every physical examination, but he doesn't pay much attention to it.

A few years later, he began to experience symptoms of fatigue and indigestion, and eventually it was found to be early cirrhosis.

The doctor told him that if he could take action when the ALT, AST, GGT and other indicators were abnormal for the first time, quit drinking and adjust his work and rest in time, his liver had a great chance of repair.

In most cases, liver problems can be improved with lifestyle modifications.

For example, reducing alcohol consumption, weight control, reasonable diet, especially increasing the intake of vegetables and dietary fiber, and reducing high-fat and high-sugar foods, can effectively reduce the burden on the liver.

In addition, maintaining a regular schedule and avoiding staying up late for a long time is also very important for liver repair.

However, the question is, do these four indicators of abnormal liver function mean that the liver is hopeless? Not really.

The liver has a strong ability to repair itself, and as long as problems are detected in time and appropriate interventions are taken, the liver can be restored to health.

Especially when liver function is abnormal in the early stage, most people can avoid serious liver disease from progressing to cirrhosis or even liver cancer through lifestyle modification and doctor's guidance.

So, in the face of these abnormalities in liver function indicators, is it necessary to take medication immediately? It depends on the specific anomaly and severity.

For middle-aged people like Dawei Zhang, if there is only a mild increase in ALT, AST, GGT, and ALP, doctors usually recommend starting with adjusting lifestyle habits.

Reduce the intake of high-fat and high-sugar foods in the diet, avoid alcohol as much as possible, and increase the amount of exercise to promote liver metabolism.

In addition, regular follow-up examinations are essential, and if the indicators do not improve after a period of adjustment, the doctor may recommend further tests or medication.