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Liver Function Test (LFT): Understanding the Results

Written by healthwords.ai's team of doctors and pharmacists based in UK | Updated: 16 Mar 2025 | 1 min read

Blood tests have many different uses. Some of these include being used to diagnose a condition, and to monitor a particular organ in the body, such as the kidney or liver. They can also be used to give measurements of bodily processes such as blood sugar, or current levels of inflammation.

Liver function

The liver function blood test is also known as LFT. It is one of the most commonly requested tests, and provides information on how the liver is functioning. It gives different markers of how healthy the liver tissue is, as well as other markers of liver function.

Why is my doctor ordering it?

This would be a normal test to order when doing some routine blood tests. Specifically, it will give your doctor information on how your liver is functioning at that point in time. Your liver is involved in processing many medications, so it may need to be tested at certain intervals to ensure the medications are not causing any signs of damage to the liver.

Are there any special requirements for the blood test?

You should be fasting for this blood test. It will be taken like any normal blood test.

Remember to press hard for a good few minutes after the needle has been removed to prevent a nasty bruise!

This article has been written by UK-based doctors and pharmacists, so some advice may not apply to US users and some suggested treatments may not be available. For more information, please see our T&Cs.