Aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT)
Stomach and gut healthAn enzyme present in liver, heart, muscle, and other tissues.
While less specific to the liver than ALAT, elevated levels often indicate liver damage when other liver markers are also abnormal.
Why this matters
Elevated ASAT can act as an early warning sign of liver, heart, or muscle issues. Comparing ASAT with ALAT levels helps identify the likely source of organ damage - when both are elevated, liver issues are more likely, while isolated ASAT elevation may point to heart or muscle problems. Lifestyle factors such as alcohol intake, physical activity intensity, and overall health can influence ASAT levels. Monitoring ASAT provides insight into early tissue changes and can guide lifestyle adjustments to support liver, heart, and muscle health.
How this connects to other biomarkers
- Elevated ASAT with elevated Alanine Aminotransferase (ALAT) indicates liver cell damage; an ASAT / ALAT ratio > 2 classically suggests alcohol-related liver injury, while a ratio < 1 favors viral hepatitis or fatty liver disease.
- ASAT is also released from skeletal and heart muscle — if Total Creatine Kinase (CK) and Myoglobin are also elevated, the source is muscle rather than liver.
- In ongoing liver disease, follow with Fibrose-Score (FIB-4) to estimate scarring (fibrosis) stage.
Included in
Ready to check your health?
Get a comprehensive view of your biomarkers with our advanced check-up packages.