Pancreatic Blood Test Results: Lipase and Amylase Explained

Pancreatic Function Tests: What Is Going On In There?

Your pancreas sits behind your stomach and does two critical jobs. It produces digestive enzymes that break down the food you eat, and it produces insulin to regulate your blood sugar. When something goes wrong with your pancreas, specific enzymes leak into your bloodstream at levels much higher than normal. That is what these tests detect.

If your doctor ordered pancreatic function tests, they are probably trying to figure out if you have pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) or if your pancreas is not doing its digestive job properly.

Tests Included in Pancreatic Function Panels

• Lipase - the most reliable marker for pancreatitis, rises within hours of pancreatic inflammation and stays elevated longer than amylase
• Amylase - another pancreatic enzyme, but less specific because it is also produced by your salivary glands
• Fecal Elastase - measured in stool, not blood, tells you if your pancreas is producing enough digestive enzymes
• Trypsinogen - a pancreatic enzyme precursor, used in some specific diagnostic scenarios
• Glucose and HbA1c - because the pancreas produces insulin, pancreatic damage can cause diabetes
• CA 19-9 - a tumor marker sometimes elevated in pancreatic cancer, though also elevated in benign bile duct conditions

Acute vs. Chronic Pancreatitis

In acute pancreatitis, lipase and amylase shoot up dramatically, often 3-5 times the normal limit or higher. The higher they go, the more inflamed your pancreas is. In chronic pancreatitis, the pancreas has been damaged over time and may not even produce enough enzymes to spike the levels anymore. So normal lipase and amylase do not always rule out chronic pancreatic disease.

The two biggest causes of pancreatitis are gallstones and heavy alcohol use. But it can also be caused by certain medications, high triglycerides, and autoimmune conditions.

When to Get Pancreatic Testing

Severe upper abdominal pain that radiates to your back, especially after eating. Nausea and vomiting with no clear cause. Chronic diarrhea, especially greasy or foul-smelling stools (this suggests your pancreas is not producing enough digestive enzymes). Unexplained weight loss despite eating normally. New-onset diabetes in someone who does not fit the typical profile.

Upload your pancreatic results and I will explain what each marker means and whether the levels are concerning.

Upload your pancreatic results and I will make sense of them.