Amylase test: what the result means (AMY)

Amylase is an enzyme that helps break the starch in food down into simpler sugars. Most amylase is made by the pancreas and the salivary glands, and a small amount normally passes into the blood. When pancreatic tissue is damaged — in acute pancreatitis, for example — much more of the enzyme reaches the blood, so the amylase level in blood rises sharply. The test can be done on blood or on urine, and both are often assessed together with lipase, which is also produced in the pancreas and is considered a more sensitive and more specific marker of pancreatitis. Per MedlinePlus, an amylase test is most often ordered to diagnose or monitor acute pancreatitis, but a raised level can point to other conditions too — from inflammation of the salivary glands to intestinal obstruction. Interpreting the result means taking symptoms, other tests (lipase, for example) and the overall clinical picture into account, so the final conclusion is always made by a doctor.

• When the upper abdomen hurts — especially if the pain spreads to the back, worsens after eating or lasts several days
• When there is nausea, vomiting, fever or jaundice
• When stools are fatty, greyish or foul-smelling
• When acute inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) is suspected, or a chronic one is being monitored
• When inflammation of the salivary glands, intestinal obstruction or another disorder of the pancreas, bile ducts or digestive tract is suspected
• To follow how treatment is going once pancreatitis or another pancreatic disease has been diagnosed

A raised amylase is most often linked to acute inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), but there are more possible causes — from a blocked pancreatic or bile duct to inflammation of the salivary glands or intestinal obstruction. Per MedlinePlus, the result is always assessed together with symptoms and other tests, lipase for example.

• Acute inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• A blocked pancreatic or bile duct
• Tumours of the pancreas, ovaries or lungs
• Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis)
• Infection or inflammation of the salivary glands
• Intestinal obstruction
• Macroamylasaemia (amylase bound to other blood protein molecules)
• A perforated ulcer
• A ruptured ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
• Viral hepatitis

Symptoms that can go with a raised amylase

• Severe pain in the upper abdomen, which can spread to the back, worsen after eating or last several days
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fever
• Jaundice
• Fatty, foul-smelling stools

• A lipase test — a more sensitive and more specific marker of pancreatic damage, assessed together with amylase
• Imaging of the pancreas or the abdominal organs, if pancreatitis or a blockage is suspected
• Liver markers and bilirubin, if there are signs of jaundice
• How long the symptoms have lasted and how they are changing — worth discussing with a doctor, especially if the pain is severe or drawn out

Low amylase

A low amylase is less common and may indicate chronic damage to the pancreas with scarring, kidney or liver disease, bone fractures or heart failure, or it may be related to pregnancy. Per MedlinePlus, a low result is always assessed together with the clinical picture.

• Chronic inflammation of the pancreas with ongoing cell damage (scarring)
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Bone fractures
• Congestive heart failure
• Tumours of the digestive tract
• Preeclampsia (during pregnancy)

What is usually assessed alongside a low result:

• Pancreatic function tests, if chronic pancreatitis is suspected
• Kidney and liver markers, to fill in the overall picture
• A conversation with a doctor about symptoms and medical history, especially with long-standing digestive problems

At the Medicina practica laboratory, the a-amylase test costs from €9.50 (September 2026 pricing). Prices at other laboratories can differ; when pancreatic disease is suspected, a family doctor may order the test free of charge.