LFT

Medical abbreviation · Laboratory Test

LFT
Stands forLiver function tests
CategoriesMedical

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.

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 →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.