Understanding AST Blood Tests and Their Results

3. Monitoring and Diagnosing Conditions

AST blood tests are useful in monitoring and diagnosing certain conditions. An AST test done alongside other labs can help determine if a patient's known condition is worsening, improving, or staying the same and whether treatment is effective.

Sometimes, doctors order an AST test and other labs if someone is taking a medication known to damage the liver. AST test results cannot determine a specific diagnosis, but they are a part of the diagnostic process as they can hint that there is a problem, often quite early in its progression.