Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion01:18

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion

In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism01:18

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism

Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution01:00

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age01:27

Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age

Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
Serum Studies: Renal Function Tests01:24

Serum Studies: Renal Function Tests

Renal function tests are crucial for assessing kidney health, monitoring disease progression, and evaluating the kidneys' efficiency in waste elimination, fluid balance, and electrolyte regulation. These tests offer critical insights into kidney function, even though routine measurements may appear normal until there is a significant decline in the glomerular filtration rate or GFR. Typically, signs of kidney impairment only become evident when the GFR falls to about 50% of its normal level.
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test01:22

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test

In clinical practice, the direct measurement of hepatic blood flow to evaluate liver function presents significant challenges due to the intricate and specialized nature of the necessary techniques. Consequently, healthcare professionals often rely on empirical estimates derived from thorough patient examinations and liver function tests to gauge liver health. Among the tools at their disposal, the Child–Pugh and MELD scoring systems stand out for their ability to categorize and assess the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A translational model of MASLD-associated HFpEF defines mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiac plasticity during disease progression and regression.

Metabolism: clinical and experimental·2026
Same author

Precision pathophysiology in steatotic liver disease.

Clinical and molecular hepatology·2026
Same author

A Translational Model of MASLD-Associated HFpEF Defines Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Cardiac Plasticity During Disease Progression and Regression.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Mesothelin/Mucin 16 Signaling in Activated Portal Fibroblasts Drives the Development of Cholestatic Fibrosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Aged Female Multidrug Resistance Protein 2 Knockout Mice.

Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology·2026
Same author

Single-cell fixed RNA profiling uncovers SEMA4D and LMCD1 as therapeutic targets in a liver fibrosis model.

JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology·2026
Same author

RNA-binding protein LARP6 coordinates hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis.

The Journal of clinical investigation·2026
Same journal

Association of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease onset age with risk of incident type 2 diabetes.

Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association·2026
Same journal

Randomized trial comparing 5-year follow-up of first-line infliximab to conventional therapy in paediatric Crohn's disease.

Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association·2026
Same journal

What Does "Non-Intensive Surveillance" Mean After Curative ESD for Low-Risk T1 Colorectal Cancer?

Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association·2026
Same journal

Methodological and Reporting Caveats in Evaluating Facility Detection Metrics for Barrett's Esophagus.

Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association·2026
Same journal

Coffee Consumption and Improved Liver Outcomes: Clinical, Imaging, and Proteomic Evidence From the UK Biobank.

Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association·2026
Same journal

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Management of Clostridioides difficile Infection in Adults: Expert Review.

Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Evaluation of MicroRNA Expression in Kidney and Serum of Mice with Age-Dependent Renal Impairment
06:48

Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Evaluation of MicroRNA Expression in Kidney and Serum of Mice with Age-Dependent Renal Impairment

Published on: April 29, 2022

Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase decrease with age in longitudinal analysis.

Mamie H Dong1, Ricki Bettencourt, David A Brenner

  • 1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.

Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology : the Official Clinical Practice Journal of the American Gastroenterological Association
|October 25, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels naturally decrease with age in older adults. This longitudinal study confirms that ALT declines independently of other health factors, highlighting age as a key consideration in liver enzyme interpretation.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Evaluation of MicroRNA Expression in Kidney and Serum of Mice with Age-Dependent Renal Impairment
06:48

Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Evaluation of MicroRNA Expression in Kidney and Serum of Mice with Age-Dependent Renal Impairment

Published on: April 29, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Hepatology
  • Clinical Biochemistry

Background:

  • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a key biomarker for liver injury.
  • Previous reports suggest ALT levels may decrease with age, but longitudinal data in older adults is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal changes in serum ALT levels among community-dwelling older adults in the US.
  • To determine if age is an independent factor influencing ALT levels in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of clinical data from two cohorts (n=1073 and n=416) from the Rancho Bernardo Study.
  • Longitudinal examination of serum ALT, bilirubin, and albumin levels over multiple time periods.
  • Statistical analysis using unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted linear and logistic regression models.

Main Results:

  • Mean serum ALT levels significantly decreased with age in both cohorts (10% in cohort 1, 20% in cohort 2).
  • These age-related ALT decreases persisted after adjusting for sex, metabolic syndrome components, alcohol use, bilirubin, and albumin.
  • Categorical increases in ALT also showed a decrease with age (P < .0001).

Conclusions:

  • Serum ALT levels demonstrate a consistent decline with advancing age in older adults.
  • This age-related decrease is independent of common confounding factors, including metabolic health and other liver function tests.
  • Physicians should consider patient age when interpreting serum ALT levels, particularly in the elderly population.