LFT
Medical abbreviation · Laboratory Test
| Stands for | Liver function tests |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
LFT stands for Liver function tests, a laboratory test abbreviation.
Group of blood tests used to screen for and monitor liver disease, typically ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, GGT, bilirubin and albumin, sometimes with the PT/INR. The pattern matters: predominant ALT and AST rises suggest hepatocellular injury (hepatitis, drugs, fatty liver), while predominant ALP and GGT rises suggest cholestasis or bile duct obstruction.
Example: LFTs climbed to ALT 480 and AST 390 two weeks after starting the new antibiotic.
Usage notes
Usually plural (LFTs). The name is a misnomer: the enzymes measure liver cell injury, while true synthetic function shows in albumin, bilirubin and the INR, which is why hepatologists prefer "liver chemistries" or "liver panel". The R ratio (ALT divided by its upper limit, over ALP divided by its upper limit) classifies injury as hepatocellular above 5 and cholestatic below 2. Under "Hy's law", ALT above three times normal plus bilirubin above twice normal from a drug signals a high risk of serious liver injury.
Related abbreviations
More laboratory test abbreviations
- iCa – Ionized calcium
- INR – International normalized ratio
- K – Potassium
- LDH – Lactate dehydrogenase
- LDL – Low-density lipoprotein (cholesterol)
- LE – Leukocyte esterase
- LIS – Laboratory information system
- Lytes – Electrolytes
- MCH – Mean corpuscular hemoglobin
- MCHC – Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
- MCV – Mean corpuscular volume
- Mg – Magnesium
See all 135 laboratory test abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.