What do the results mean?High alkaline phosphatase levels may mean there is damage to your liver or that you have a type of bone disorder. Liver damage creates a different type of ALP than bone disorders do. If the test results show high alkaline phosphatase levels, your health care provider may order additional tests to find out where the extra ALP is coming from. High alkaline phosphatase levels in the liver can indicate:CirrhosisHepatitisA blockage in the bile ductMononucleosis, which can sometimes cause swelling in the liverThere are several other types of blood tests that check your liver function. These include bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) tests. If these results are normal and your alkaline phosphatase levels are high, it may mean the problem is not in your liver. Instead, it can indicate a bone disorder, such as Paget's Disease of Bone, a condition that causes your bones to become abnormally large, weak, and prone to fractures.Moderately high levels of alkaline phosphatase may indicate conditions such as Hodgkin lymphoma, heart failure, or a bacterial infection.Low levels of alkaline phosphatase may indicate hypophosphatasia, a rare genetic disease that affects bones and teeth. Low levels may also be due to a deficiency of zinc or malnutrition. To learn what your results mean, talk to your health care provider.Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
