Summary

• Lipase helps your body digest fats.
• It is an enzyme made in the pancreas and if your pancreas is inflamed or damaged, lipase levels rise.
• Measuring lipase levels in your blood can help diagnose and monitor pancreatic disorders such as pancreatitis, as well as some non-pancreatic disorders.

What is lipase?

Lipase helps your body digest fats. It is an enzyme that is mostly made in your pancreas with a small amount made in your salivary glands and stomach. When you eat, lipase flows from your pancreas to your small intestine where it helps to digest fats. It is also important in maintaining cell permeability, that is, allowing the cell wall to let nutrients easily flow in and to let waste easily flow out.

It is normal to have a small amount of lipase in your blood but if your pancreas is damaged, the pancreatic cells release larger amounts of lipase. High levels of lipase in your blood may mean your pancreas is swollen and inflamed, a condition called pancreatitis, or that it is being affected by another pancreatic disease such as diabetes, pancreatic insufficiency, cysts or tumours.

Lipase may also be higher if you have a non-pancreatic health condition such as kidney disease, cancer or problems with your gallbladder or oesophagus. Some medications can also cause lipase levels to rise. These include birth control pills, statins, diuretics, codeine and morphine.

Why get tested?

The blood test for lipase is used to help diagnose pancreatitis and other pancreatic diseases. Less commonly, it is measured when diagnosing and monitoring cystic fibrosis, coeliac disease, Crohn's disease, intestinal obstruction or injury, cysts or peritonitis as well as non-pancreatic disorders, such as kidney, stomach and intestine diseases.

Pancreatitis can be acute in which it starts suddenly and lasts for about a week. Usually, no further problems develop however it can be serious and even life-threatening. It can also be chronic, in which it is ongoing and can cause permanent damage to the pancreas with scarring and calcium deposits. Symptoms can include difficulty digesting foods, especially fats, causing abdominal pain, pale, bulky, greasy stools and loss of weight.

What tests are used?

A lipase blood test is often ordered with a test for another pancreatic enzyme, amylase.

Lipase and amylase are sometimes used together to diagnose acute pancreatitis. In acute pancreatitis, the changes seen in lipase levels are usually similar to levels of amylase but stay higher longer, usually for about five to seven days.

Both tests can also be used to monitor chronic pancreatitis as both enzymes may be moderately higher in chronic pancreatic disease.

Having the test

Sample

Blood

Preparation

A lipase test typically requires you to fast before you give the sample. Medications and supplements might also need to be paused, as they can affect lipase levels. You should tell your doctor about any medication you are taking.

Your results

Reading your test report

Your results will generally be presented along with those of your other tests on the same form. You will see separate columns or lines for each of these tests.

In both acute and chronic pancreatitis, the lipase level rises quickly but begins to drop after about four days. In other conditions, the rise is usually not as great, and the level is maintained for a longer period.

In acute pancreatitis, lipase levels are very high, often two to five times normal. A rapid and sharp rise of lipase in the blood within hours after the beginning of an attack, and a decline after about four days, usually indicates acute pancreatitis.

In chronic pancreatitis, while lipase levels can also rise, the elevations are usually less dramatic compared to acute cases.

Slightly high lipase values may occur in other conditions such as kidney disease, salivary gland inflammation, or peptic ulcer disease.

Low levels of lipase may be due to permanent damage to cells in your pancreas that make lipase. This may happen in certain chronic disorders such as cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis.

Reference intervals*

Your results will be compared to reference intervals (sometimes called a normal range).

• Reference intervals are the range of results expected in healthy people.
• When compared against them your results may be flagged high or low if they sit outside this range.
• Many reference intervals vary between labs so only those that are standardised or harmonised across most laboratories are given on this website.

If your results are flagged as high or low this does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong. Your doctor needs to take your medical history to help interpret your result.
The reference intervals for this test are common reference intervals which means that the majority of laboratories in Australia should be using the same reference intervals.

Questions to ask your doctor

The choice of tests your doctor makes will be based on your medical history and symptoms. It is important that you tell them everything you think might help.

You play a central role in making sure your test results are accurate. Do everything you can to make sure the information you provide is correct and follow instructions closely.

Talk to your doctor about any medications you are taking. Find out if you need to fast or stop any particular foods or supplements. These may affect your results. Ask:

• Why does this test need to be done?
• Do I need to prepare (such as fast or avoid medications) for the sample collection?
• Will an abnormal result mean I need further tests?
• How could it change the course of my care?
• What will happen next, after the test?

More information

Pathology and diagnostic imaging reports can be added to your My Health Record. You and your healthcare provider can now access your results whenever and wherever needed.

Get further trustworthy health information and advice from healthdirect.

RCPA Manual: Lipase - serum