Lipase
A pancreatic digestive enzyme — a more specific marker of pancreatitis than amylase.
Typical reference range
| Range | Unit |
|---|---|
| 13–60 | U/l |
What Lipase measures
Lipase is an enzyme that helps your body digest fats, breaking them down so they can be absorbed. It is produced mainly by the pancreas, the gland that sits behind the stomach and releases digestive enzymes into the small intestine. A small amount of lipase normally circulates in the blood, and measuring it gives a useful window into how the pancreas is functioning.
- Blood lipase is the preferred test when acute pancreatitis is suspected.
- It is more specific to the pancreas than amylase, an older marker that can rise from other sources.
- Lipase also tends to stay elevated a bit longer, which helps when testing happens later after symptoms begin.
Because of this, clinicians often lean on lipase to assess sudden abdominal pain that may involve the pancreas.
What a high Lipase can mean
A high lipase result most commonly relates to acute pancreatitis, in which the pancreas becomes inflamed and releases more of the enzyme into the bloodstream. Values that are markedly high alongside typical symptoms, such as severe upper abdominal pain, strongly point toward pancreatitis.
- Other pancreatic or abdominal conditions can also push lipase up, including blockages or injury affecting the gland.
- Reduced kidney clearance can raise lipase, because the kidneys help remove it from the blood.
- Milder elevations are less specific and may reflect a range of causes.
The number alone does not confirm a diagnosis. Interpreting a high lipase means weighing it together with your symptoms and imaging, and that work belongs with a clinician who can see the full clinical picture and decide what, if anything, needs follow-up.
What a low Lipase can mean
A low lipase result is usually not a concern on its own. In most people it carries little clinical meaning, and there is typically no need to raise the value.
- Occasionally a low level can reflect long-standing loss of pancreatic function, where the gland produces less enzyme over time.
- Even then, low readings are far less informative than high ones, and other tests usually guide any assessment of pancreatic health.
In practice, the clinical focus with this marker is almost always on high values, since those are what signal active problems such as inflammation. A low result rarely prompts action by itself. As with any single measurement, a clinician interprets it in the context of your history, symptoms, and other results, rather than treating the number in isolation.
Track your Lipase 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.