Liver
AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase)
Liver
Found in liver and muscle. Elevated in liver damage, heart attack and muscle injury.
VAT-exempt medical service
AST is a bit of a free spirit. Unlike ALT, which mostly sticks to the liver, AST is found in the liver, heart, and skeletal muscle. When any of these tissues take damage, AST spills into the bloodstream. It's not as liver-specific as its cousin ALT, but that's exactly what makes it valuable -- it gives you a wider lens on tissue health. Best results come when you read it alongside ALT, ALP, bilirubin, and GGT.
Your liver doesn't complain until things get rough. Testing AST is part of catching problems early, especially if alcohol, weight, or medications are part of the picture. It's also a smart way to track how lifestyle changes are actually working. Are those supplements doing something? Is the new diet landing? AST (together with the rest of the liver panel) can tell you.
What a high value can mean
Elevated AST usually means tissue damage somewhere. Liver problems are the most common culprit -- alcohol toxicity, drug reactions, and viral hepatitis can push levels sky-high. But AST can also climb with cirrhosis, muscle injury, heart problems, pancreatitis, or even mono. Age, an inflammatory diet, smoking, and certain medications play a role too. Watch for persistent fatigue, yellowing skin, right-side abdominal pain, nausea, dark urine, appetite loss, swollen legs, or itching.
What a low value can mean
Low AST is normal and nothing to worry about. Very low values sometimes show up with vitamin B6 deficiency, chronic alcohol use, or advanced age. No specific symptoms here -- it's generally a clean bill of health.
Skip the fatty foods and alcohol the day before. Bring valid ID on test day.
Order your test
Choose your test and pay online. Your lab referral is created straight away.
Give your sample
Visit any of our partner sampling locations. No appointment needed at most of them.
The lab analyses it
Your sample is analysed at an accredited Swedish laboratory.
Get your results
Your values appear in your account with reference ranges and an explanation of each marker.
Because AST also lives in the heart and muscles. By comparing AST and ALT, you can figure out whether elevated levels are coming from the liver or somewhere else entirely.
Yes. AST hangs out in heart muscle too, so something like a heart attack can push levels up. That's why AST should always be read alongside other markers.
It's a handy way to narrow down what kind of liver issue you might be dealing with. A ratio above 2 can suggest alcohol-related damage, while a ratio closer to 1 is more typical of viral hepatitis or fatty liver.