A lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) test measures the amount of LDH in the blood.
Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that the body uses during the process of turning sugar into energy for your cells to use.
LDH is found in many of the body's tissues and organs, including the muscles, liver, heart, pancreas, kidneys, brain and blood cells.
The LDH test is mainly used to help identify the location and severity of tissue damage in the body.
It's also sometimes used to monitor how far certain conditions have progressed.
These include:
- kidney disease
- liver disease
- some types of cancer
In the past, LDH levels were also used to help diagnose and monitor heart attacks. But other tests are now usually used to do this.
Page last reviewed: 28 March 2022
Next review due: 28 March 2025