Amylase
An enzyme from the pancreas and salivary glands. Raised levels can indicate pancreatitis.
Typical reference range
| Range | Unit |
|---|---|
| 28–100 | U/l |
What Amylase measures
Amylase is an enzyme that helps your body digest carbohydrates, breaking starches down into simpler sugars. It is made mainly by the pancreas and the salivary glands, so small amounts normally circulate in the blood. A blood amylase test is used mostly when a doctor suspects a problem with the pancreas, such as inflammation. It is often measured alongside lipase, another digestive enzyme that is more specific to the pancreas. Because amylase can come from several sources in the body, it is rarely interpreted on its own. Instead, a clinician looks at it together with your symptoms, other tests, and sometimes imaging to build a fuller picture of what is going on.
What a high Amylase can mean
A high amylase most commonly relates to pancreatitis, meaning inflammation of the pancreas. It can also rise for several other reasons, so a raised value is not proof of any one cause. Higher levels may reflect:
- Problems with the salivary glands, such as inflammation or blockage
- Certain abdominal conditions affecting nearby organs
- Reduced clearance by the kidneys, which can let amylase build up
Because amylase is less specific than lipase, a high value alone does not confirm a diagnosis. A clinician interprets it together with your symptoms, the lipase result, and imaging where needed. They can tell whether the finding points to the pancreas or to another source, and decide what, if any, follow-up makes sense for your situation.
What a low Amylase can mean
A low amylase is usually not a cause for concern. For most people it carries little clinical meaning, and it is not something that is typically treated on its own. Occasionally a persistently low value can reflect long-standing damage to the pancreas, where the gland produces less enzyme over time, or it may be linked to certain other conditions. Even so, the clinical interest in amylase is almost always in high values, not low ones, since raised levels are what tend to signal an active problem worth investigating. If your result is low, a clinician will interpret it in the context of your overall health, your symptoms, and any other tests, rather than treating the number by itself. In most cases no specific action is needed.
Track your Amylase over time in Quanome — it reads your lab reports (PDF or photo) on your device, charts each marker against its range, and an AI coach explains what your trends mean alongside your Apple Health and DNA.