donnynz

Hi,

Just got our medicals back. Mine had a couple of raised values, which appear to be liver related:

Aspartate Transferase 40 (normal is 0 - 37)
Alanine Transferase 65 (normal is 10 - 50 )

I do drink, but only lager and only at the weekend.

I read that one of these can be caused by strenuous exercise and I have been exercising 4 days a week over the past 3 months in an effort to lose a couple of stone prior to the medical. I'm going to show the results to my GP for advice.

Anyone think that this will stop us getting a residency visa?

Also, we have a set of sealed envelopes which we have to send on to the NZ High Commission. Can we open these or not?

Any advice/help appreciated.

Cheers

D

dash1965

Hi DonnyNZ,

Don't worry about your liver results, mine were much worse. My ALT was 116 and they asked to get another done which I did and it was right down although still higher than yours and they accepted that. My reasons for elevated levels were put down to the fact that I had been taking malaria tablets a year earlier and they can effect the liver for quite some time.

That was 18 months ago and I've just had more done for a job contract overseas and they are better still although one is still higher than yours!!

Just in case they ask for a re-test just drink water and take milk thistle tablets once a day as they help to retore liver function.

And then have a shed full of beer when they give you the all clear

Good Luck

Dave

dollyhill

Sorry I can't be of any use, but just wondering where you find out how to compare your results to normal results? We got them back for OH the other day but they mean nothing to us!

donnynz

Hi,

Thanks for putting my mind at rest, I really appreciate it! Right, I'm off to crack open that bottle of meths I've been saving for a rainy day...

D

donnynz

Hi,

When we got them back, anything that was out of range was highlighted in red. Also, on the same line, it indicates the normal range.

Cheers.

J

gina and danny

your panel doc would have wrote a note alongside the bloods if he was concerned, i had raised albumin and raised total protein but next to the liver bloods box he just wrote insignificant variations.

hope this helps.

Ozzidoc

Without knowing the rest of your medical history, drug history etc etc....., I would still strongly suspect that these figures alone would not have any impact at all on your ability to immigrate.

2poor4this

Hi, How did you get on with this?
Just got our medicals back and mine were 40 and 62
Hate to think I'd have to give up beer.

donnynz

Hi,

I never had a problem with it. We're on our way soon.

My GP said that my readings are classed as normal in the range that they work from. I did have another one to be on the safe side (taken by my GP), just incase NZ immigration contacted them.


They came back within the NZ limits this time. I had a muscle strain just before the first one, as I had been exercising hard, which I think contributed to the original readings.

My GP also said that it could be attributed to a fatty liver, but I'm not too far over the recommended BMI for my height at the moment, so I'm not sure about that.

I have a fair few beers at the weekends only. It's needed!

I'm sure you will be fine.

Good Luck!

drrobert

Don't worry - results just outside the reference range occur all the time when batteries of laboratory tests are done on healthy people.

Every lab has it's own reference ranges which depend on the methods/machines used for the assay.

The reference ranges usually have an arbitrary definition e.g. the range within which the results of 95% of healthy people fall. This means that for any given test up to 5% of healthy individuals will have an 'abnormal' result. In your case, the AST and ALT are just above the upper limit of the 'normal range', so they don't warrant further investigation.

2poor4this

Thank you both for that, I'll carry on as normal then

@donnynz all the best for your future in NZ, where you heading?

mkumar

My alanine levels were high.

The doctor told me to get a second test from my GP, a week or so after the initial test. Alanine levels went down.

1st reading was slightly elevated

donnynz

Cheers, you too. Rangiora. You?

2poor4this

Were not sure yet, original plan was to spend a few weeks touring, work "hot spots" for me seem to be new plymouth and whangarei, it's somewhere to start.