HealthWise KnowledgeBase
Alkaline Phosphatase
Why It Is Done
A test for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is done to:
- Check for liver disease or damage to the liver. Symptoms of liver disease can include Reference jaundice Opens New Window, belly pain, nausea, and vomiting. An ALP test may also be used to check the liver when medicines that can damage the liver are taken.
- Check bone problems (sometimes found on Reference X-rays Opens New Window), such as Reference rickets Opens New Window, bone tumors, Paget's disease, or too much of the hormone that controls bone growth (Reference parathyroid hormone Opens New Window). The ALP level can be used to check how well treatment for Paget's disease or a vitamin D deficiency is working.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference June 20, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Alan C. Dalkin, MD - Endocrinology |
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