Alkaline Phosphatase

What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

• Taking medicines that may damage the liver, such as some antibiotics, birth control pills, long-term aspirin use, and oral diabetes medicines.
• Being pregnant. Women in the third trimester of pregnancy have high ALP levels because the placenta makes ALP.
• Going through menopause. Postmenopausal women may have higher ALP levels than women who still have menstrual cycles.
• Your age. Children normally have much higher ALP levels than adults because rapid bone growth is normal in children and bones make ALP.
• Using alcohol.

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Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: July 28, 2008
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Alan C. Dalkin, MD - Endocrinology
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