SURVIVAL BENEFIT OF HIGH SERUM BILIRUBIN AND LOW ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE IN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract

Liver function tests (LFTs) are frequently conducted in inpatient and outpatient settings. Anomalies in LFTs indicate not only liver injury, but also other problems because the activities of these enzymes are not specific to the liver. In older adults, LFTs are also a frequently used biochemical test in screening for several diseases, but LFTs may be overlooked because their results frequently fluctuate.1 Whether routinely checked biochemical tests could be a predictor of mortality is an important concern in all medical fields. An independent correlation between albumin (one component of LFTs) and overall mortality has been well evaluated,2 although normal levels other markers, including total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), are not established in the general elderly population.