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Pancreatic enzyme tests
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There are two digestive enzymes that can be measured in a lab test: amylase, which is measured in the blood or in the urine, and lipase, which is measured in the blood. Together, the two tests are called pancreatic enzyme tests.
An enzyme is a protein that speeds up a chemical reaction, a tool that cuts something apart faster than it would come apart on its own. Amylase helps digest carbohydrates, meaning sugars and starches, and lipase helps digest fats. Most of the lipase in the body is made by the pancreas.
It is normal to have a little of each one circulating in the blood. What stands out is an excess: when pancreatic cells are damaged, they release extra lipase, the way a broken storeroom spills out what it was holding inside. And the amylase test is ordered mainly when a pancreas problem is suspected, such as pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas.
In brief
An amylase test measures amylase in the blood or urine, and a lipase test measures lipase in the blood.
Both are enzymes, proteins that speed up chemical reactions: amylase helps digest carbohydrates and lipase helps digest fats, and the pancreas makes most of the lipase.
A small amount in the blood is normal; if pancreatic cells are damaged they release more lipase, and the amylase test is ordered mainly for pancreas problems such as pancreatitis.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineAmylase Test
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineLipase Tests
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