Liver · Blood test
SGOT (AST) blood test: normal range explained
Also printed as: AST, SGOT, Aspartate Aminotransferase
SGOT (AST) is an enzyme found in the liver and in the heart, muscles and other tissues, and the blood test measures how much is in your blood. MedlinePlus prints an adult range of 8–33 U/L and Testing.com 10–40 U/L; Indian labs often print a wider range, but the range printed on your own report is the one that applies.
Last updated 4 sources
What is the normal range for SGOT (AST)?
| Printed for | Range |
|---|---|
| Adults, as MedlinePlus prints it | 8–33U/L |
| Adults, as Testing.com prints it | 10–40U/L |
Reference ranges vary between laboratories. Always use the range printed on your own report. Why ranges differ between labs
Sources:MedlinePlus, Testing.com
What does SGOT (AST) measure?
AST stands for aspartate aminotransferase, also called aspartate transaminase. SGOT, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, is the older name for the same enzyme. AST is found mainly in the liver but also in the heart, skeletal muscle, kidneys and brain, and the blood level is normally low.
When cells that contain AST are damaged they release it into the blood. Because it is not limited to the liver, AST is less specific than ALT, and doctors read the two together.
Sources:MedlinePlus, Testing.com
Why do doctors order the SGOT (AST) test?
Doctors include AST in routine liver screening, usually as part of liver function tests, and order it when symptoms suggest a liver problem, such as nausea, poor appetite, tiredness, jaundice, belly swelling, dark urine or itching.
It is also ordered for people at higher risk of liver damage, including a family history of liver disease, alcohol use disorder, obesity, diabetes, medicines that can affect the liver or hepatitis exposure, and to monitor treatment of a liver problem.
Sources:MedlinePlus, Testing.com
What can change your SGOT (AST) result?
Because AST lives in muscle and heart as well as liver, things that have nothing to do with the liver can move it.
- Intense exercise shortly before the draw, a muscle injury or rapid muscle breakdown can raise AST, because skeletal muscle contains it.
- Heart problems or heart procedures, deep burns, seizures and surgery can raise it.
- Pregnancy, age and sex affect the level.
- Statins, anti-inflammatory painkillers, some antibiotics and antifungals, and some herbal supplements can affect it, and medicines or alcohol that harm the liver can raise it. Do not stop a medicine unless your doctor tells you to.
- Heavy alcohol use or intense exercise in the day or two before the draw, and a recent illness, can raise AST and ALT for a short time.
- Fasting is usually needed only because AST is ordered with other tests that need it, sometimes for up to 12 hours.
Sources:MedlinePlus, Testing.com
How do you read SGOT (AST) on your lab report?
AST is printed as SGOT, AST, SGOT (AST) or aspartate aminotransferase on a liver function test, in U/L or IU/L, usually beside SGPT (ALT) with the lab's range next to it.
Printed ranges differ more for AST than for many tests: MedlinePlus prints 8–33 U/L and Testing.com 10–40 U/L, and Testing.com says the range varies by lab, age and sex. Read the value against the range beside it and the ALT on the same report, because the pattern between the two gives more context than either alone.
Amara reads SGOT (AST) with the range printed beside it on each report, flags a value outside that range, and shows what changed since your last report. Try it with two sample reports
A sample Amara row for SGOT (AST): 52 U/L on 28 Jan 2026 at Lab A (sample), then 31 U/L on 16 Aug 2026 at Lab B (sample), each with its lab's printed range.
Sources:MedlinePlus, Testing.com
Questions people ask about SGOT (AST)
What is the full form of SGOT?
SGOT stands for serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase. It is the older name for aspartate aminotransferase, also written aspartate transaminase and abbreviated AST, which MedlinePlus lists as other names for the same test. Indian labs often print both names together, as SGOT (AST), on the liver function panel beside SGPT (ALT).
Is SGOT the same as AST?
SGOT and AST are the same test under two names; SGOT is the older label for aspartate aminotransferase. Whichever your report prints, read the value against the range printed beside it, and look at the SGPT (ALT) line on the same report, because doctors read the two enzymes as a pair rather than alone.
What is the SGOT SGPT ratio?
SGOT SGPT ratio, also called the AST to ALT ratio, divides the AST value by the ALT value from the same report. Testing.com says a ratio needs both results and gives no cut-off, and that the pattern between the two enzymes helps doctors narrow down where a rise comes from, so it is read with your history.
Can exercise or a muscle injury raise SGOT (AST)?
Exercise and muscle injury can raise SGOT (AST), because skeletal muscle contains the enzyme. Testing.com says intense exercise shortly before the draw, a muscle injury or rapid muscle breakdown can push it up, and that a mild rise after exercise does not automatically mean liver disease. Tell the lab about any hard exercise before the test.
Sources:MedlinePlus, Testing.com
Sources
- AST TestMedlinePlus · medlineplus.gov · Opened
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) blood testMedlinePlus · medlineplus.gov · Opened
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Test: Order and Get ResultsTesting.com · testing.com · Opened
- Liver Function Test (LFT): Order and Check ResultsTesting.com · testing.com · Opened
About this page
Every statement on this page comes from the sources listed above. Ranges are those commonly printed on Indian lab reports; the range printed on your own report is the one that applies.
Published by Amara Health, a product of MetaNova AI Private Limited, Hyderabad.
Amara Health does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Information shown by Amara is based on available health records and may contain errors. Review important information against the original report and consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions. Do not use Amara for medical emergencies.
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