What causes elevated indirect bilirubin?
Disease description:
Recently, I accompanied my father to the hospital for a medical checkup and took the opportunity to have my own liver function test. I found that my indirect bilirubin level was elevated. Could you please tell me what might be causing this?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Jin Zhongkui
Slightly elevated indirect bilirubin may result from not maintaining a fasting state before the test, causing a transient increase, which is considered a normal physiological phenomenon. However, in patients with liver diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or cirrhosis, the liver's ability to conjugate and excrete bilirubin may be impaired, leading to elevated indirect bilirubin levels. Additionally, in patients with chronic anemia, the destruction of red blood cells may cause abnormal bilirubin metabolism, resulting in increased indirect bilirubin.
