Bilirubin is used to diagnose the presence of liver disease or abnormalities in the bile ducts.
Bilirubin is a type of bile pigment and is the main pigment in human bile. Bilirubin is the main metabolite of iron porphyrin compounds in the body and is toxic, causing irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system. However, it also functions as an antioxidant, inhibiting the oxidation of linoleic acid and phospholipids. Bilirubin is an important basis for clinical determination of biliary tract abnormalities and an important indicator of liver function.
If bilirubin is elevated, it is categorized into physiological and pathological elevations. Elevated bilirubin caused by physiologic reasons usually recovers on its own after regulation, and the degree of bilirubin elevation is not particularly high. Pathological bilirubin increase is commonly found in liver and gallbladder diseases, the increase is more significant, should be highly vigilant, timely to the hospital for treatment, to avoid the disease into a serious illness.
Bilirubin is used to diagnose the presence of liver disease or biliary tract abnormalities. Elevated bilirubin indicates a decrease in the ability to convert and metabolize bilirubin, and possibly an increase in the production of indirect bilirubin. It is also affected by the dietary aspects of life, which should include more vegetables and fruits, less greasy food, and appropriate exercise.