Ajax Harwood Clinic

Liver blood tests (liver panel)

Full name: Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, bilirubin, albumin)

This test is useful only in specific situations — it's not right for everyone who asks about it.

What this test is

A liver panel is a group of blood tests. It includes ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, bilirubin, and albumin. Together they look at how your liver is working. Checking ALT makes sense in a few cases. One is if you have obesity or type 2 diabetes. Another is if you have symptoms like yellow skin or belly pain. It also makes sense if you take a medication that can affect the liver. AST is different. OHIP only covers it when a liver specialist is involved. So your family doctor may not order it as routine. Testing the whole panel every year, with no reason, is not usually helpful. It can find small changes that do not matter. This can lead to extra tests and worry.

Want to see the full clinical reasoning? The reference we use for this test is open to anyone — it is detailed and written for clinicians, and you are welcome to read it.

Open the clinician reference →

Looking for other tests, or more on a condition an ND raised? Explore ask.ajaxharwoodclinic.com →

General health information for Ajax Harwood Clinic patients and the public — not medical advice, and not a substitute for seeing your own doctor. Last reviewed 2026-09-23.