Blood and lab tests
What Does Amylase Mean on a Blood Test?
Amylase · say it: AM-ih-laysAlso written: serum amylase, AMY, alpha-amylase
Short answer
Amylase is a digestive enzyme made mainly by the pancreas and salivary glands. A blood test measures how much is circulating.
What it means
Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down starch into sugars. It is made mostly by the pancreas, which sends it into the gut, and by the salivary glands in the mouth. A small amount normally passes into the blood.
Amylase is usually checked when someone has sudden pain in the upper belly, to look for pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas. When the pancreas is inflamed, more amylase leaks into the blood. Many hospitals now prefer lipase for this purpose because it stays raised longer and comes more specifically from the pancreas, but some still report both.
Amylase can be measured in blood or in urine, and the two are reported differently. It is also different from lipase, another pancreatic enzyme often printed beside it.
Where you may see it
- Emergency department blood results for belly pain
- Hospital chemistry panels listing "Amylase" next to lipase
- Follow-up tests in people with known pancreas or salivary gland problems
📄 How it looks on a report
Amylase 320 U/L H
🙅 What it does not mean
- A raised amylase is not proof of pancreatitis. Swollen salivary glands such as in mumps, some bowel emergencies, kidney problems and some medicines can also raise it.
- How high the number is does not show how serious pancreatitis is. Doctors judge severity from symptoms, other tests and scans.
- An amylase inside the lab's range does not rule out every pancreas problem, especially if the test is done several days after the pain began.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Amylase”
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💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Amylase”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Acarbose
A diabetes medicine of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor type
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Amylase” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- MedlinePlus lab test guides ↗
US National Library of Medicine
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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.