Lipase: what it is, what it tells you and when it’s tested

Lipase is an enzyme your pancreas releases into the gut to digest fat. A small amount always reaches your blood. If the pancreas becomes inflamed, it releases much more, and the level in your blood rises.

When it’s tested

Doctors mostly order it when there is strong pain in the upper belly and they suspect acute pancreatitis. It is the most used blood test for this diagnosis.

It is also used to follow pancreatitis, or a known pancreas condition.

It is not a useful test for people who feel well. With no symptoms, a slightly high lipase often just leads to more tests, and usually nothing is found. That is why Rosa does not test it. Instead it measures triglycerides, bilirubin and gamma GT, linked to the most common causes of pancreatitis, and creatinine for your kidneys.

What it tells you, and what it does not

Together with strong belly pain, a lipase more than three times above the limit points to acute pancreatitis. It is more precise than amylase and stays high for longer, so it still helps if you see a doctor a few days later.

It does not say how severe the pancreatitis is, though, or what caused it. And it can rise for reasons that have nothing to do with the pancreas.

Nor does it say whether your pancreas makes enough enzymes to digest food. Other tests answer that, like faecal elastase.

That is why it is read together with other tests:

Normal lipase levels

The lab decides what is normal. Many lab reports give 13 to 60 U/L. Other labs use different methods and different limits, sometimes much higher: the one on your report is what counts.

For the same reason, if you repeat the test, it is best done at the same lab.

What your result means

Find the row for your result, in U/L. If your report has a limit other than 60, that is the one that counts: three times your limit is the threshold doctors look at.

If your lipase is high or low

What can skew the result

A few things raise it without the pancreas being ill.

When to worry

Watch for these cases:

Frequently asked questions

What are normal lipase levels? Many lab reports give 13 to 60 U/L. Other methods have different limits. The range on your own report is what counts.

Lipase and amylase: what is the difference? Both are digestive enzymes. Lipase comes almost only from the pancreas, amylase also from the salivary glands. For pancreatitis, lipase is more precise.

Do I need to fast for a lipase test? It is usually done with your other morning blood tests, fasting. Follow your lab’s instructions.

Is low lipase a problem? Usually not. If you have greasy diarrhoea or lose weight, your doctor checks your digestion with other tests, like faecal elastase.

Does Rosa test lipase? No. Rosa measures triglycerides, bilirubin, gamma GT and creatinine, which say a lot about the causes of pancreatitis and about your kidneys. If your doctor wants lipase, they order it separately.

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