What does it mean if cholinesterase levels are low?

Low cholinesterase levels may be caused by malnutrition, pregnancy, viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, and other conditions, and should be managed according to the specific situation. It is recommended to visit a hospital promptly and follow medical advice for treatment.

1. Malnutrition: Long-term insufficient dietary intake or habits such as picky eating can lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients like proteins and vitamins, affecting the liver's ability to synthesize cholinesterase and resulting in decreased levels. In daily life, one should adjust dietary habits to ensure balanced nutrition and consume more foods rich in high-quality protein.

2. Pregnancy: During pregnancy, the metabolic burden on a woman's body increases, which may affect liver function and reduce cholinesterase synthesis. Regular prenatal checkups are important during pregnancy to closely monitor cholinesterase levels and other indicators, ensure adequate rest, maintain a balanced diet, and avoid excessive fatigue.

3. Viral Hepatitis: Hepatitis virus infection causes liver inflammation, damages liver cells, and affects normal liver metabolism and synthesis functions, leading to decreased cholinesterase levels. Symptoms include fatigue, reduced appetite, aversion to greasy foods, and jaundice. Patients can take medications such as entecavir dispersible tablets, compound glycyrrhizic acid tablets, and silybin capsules under medical guidance to alleviate symptoms.

4. Alcoholic Liver Disease: Long-term heavy alcohol consumption damages the liver through alcohol and its metabolites, impairing liver cells and reducing cholinesterase synthesis. Common symptoms include dull pain in the upper right abdomen, abdominal distension, and loss of appetite; jaundice and ascites may occur in severe cases. It is recommended to take medications such as metadoxine capsules, polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules, and reduced glutathione tablets under medical guidance to relieve discomfort.

5. Cirrhosis: Various factors such as long-term chronic hepatitis and excessive alcohol consumption cause gradual fibrosis of liver tissue, leading to cirrhosis and impairing the liver's normal structure and function, thereby reducing its ability to synthesize cholinesterase. Symptoms include impaired liver function, such as fatigue, weight loss, and reduced appetite. Patients can take medications such as Anluoxiaowan (An Luo Hua Xian Wan), Fuzheng Huayu capsules, and Compound Biejia Ruangan tablets under medical guidance to alleviate symptoms.

It is recommended to adjust lifestyle habits, maintain regular作息, avoid staying up late and excessive fatigue. At the same time, engage in appropriate physical exercise, relax, and reduce mental stress, which is beneficial to overall health.

References:

[1] Gao Haiyan, Zhang Meihua. Correlation between serum cholinesterase, glutamyl transferase levels and liver function in patients with viral hepatitis [J]. Medical Journal of Chinese People's Health, 2024, 36(08): 149-151.

[2] Li Jian, Wang Fuzhen, Chen Zhongdan, et al. Research progress on the disease burden of viral hepatitis in China [J]. Journal of Clinical Hepatology, 2025, 41(02): 221-227.