August 19, 2003
Other Illnesses
Question from Charlton, Massachusetts, USA:
My daughter was diagnosed when she was 10 years old, and about a year and a half ago we found out she had elevated AST levels. All her other numbers were within normal ranges. Her AST has risen to 375+, and she is scheduled for a liver biopsy.Is there any connection between diabetes and elevated AST levels?
Answer:
Type�2 diabetes and obesity can be associated with elevated liver enzymes from something called fatty liver. If your daughter has type�1 diabetes, then this is not likely. If blood work has not determined a cause for the increased liver enzymes, then a liver biopsy sounds reasonable to try to get tissue for microscopic analysis and better diagnosis. There are also many other causes unrelated to her having diabetes and this could also be determined by a liver biopsy, for example, different types of hepatitis infections.
SB
