Lipase blood test
In short
A typical adult lipase result is 13 to 60 U/L. A result above three times the upper limit, with belly pain, is the classic reason doctors act fast. Smaller rises without pain are common and often have other causes. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
A fat-digesting enzyme made almost only by the pancreas.
Lipase helps digest fats, and nearly all of it comes from the pancreas, a gland behind the stomach. When the pancreas is inflamed, lipase rises within hours and can stay high for a week. That makes it the main blood test when doctors suspect pancreatitis, an inflamed pancreas.
Is my Lipase high or low?
Type your result to see where it sits.
Nothing you type leaves this device.
Typical range
| For | Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | 13–60 | U/L |
Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
If your Lipase is high
A result above three times the upper limit, with belly pain, is the classic reason doctors act fast. Smaller rises without pain are common and often have other causes.
Common reasons
- Long-term kidney disease, which slows how fast lipase is cleared
- Diabetes, especially when blood sugar runs high
- Some medicines, including some strong pain relievers and water pills (diuretics)
- Gallstones or a gallbladder problem
- Regular heavy drinking
- Less often: swelling of the pancreas (pancreatitis), usually with strong belly pain
- Less often: a bowel blockage, an ulcer or a growth in the pancreas
If your Lipase is low
A low lipase is uncommon and is rarely a concern on its own.
Common reasons
- Normal variation between people
- Past surgery that removed part of the pancreas
- Less often: lasting pancreas damage, such as long-term pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis
What can throw it off
Upper limits differ a lot between labs, so the limit printed on the report is the one to compare with.
Questions to take to your appointment
- 1How many times above the upper limit is my result?
- 2Could my kidneys, diabetes or medicines explain a small rise?
- 3Should this be repeated, or checked with a scan?
Read together with
Doctors rarely read Lipase alone. These usually sit next to it.
- AmylaseA digestive enzyme from the pancreas and salivary glands.
- CreatinineA waste product from muscles that the kidneys clear.
- ALTAn enzyme that lives mostly inside liver cells.
- TriglyceridesThe main type of fat carried in the blood.
- CalciumA mineral that builds bones and keeps nerves and muscles working.
Quick answers
What is the lipase blood test?
Lipase: A fat-digesting enzyme made almost only by the pancreas. Lipase helps digest fats, and nearly all of it comes from the pancreas, a gland behind the stomach. When the pancreas is inflamed, lipase rises within hours and can stay high for a week. That makes it the main blood test when doctors suspect pancreatitis, an inflamed pancreas.
What is a normal lipase level?
For most adults, lipase is typically 13 to 60 U/L. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
What does a high lipase mean?
A result above three times the upper limit, with belly pain, is the classic reason doctors act fast. Smaller rises without pain are common and often have other causes. Common reasons include long-term kidney disease, which slows how fast lipase is cleared; diabetes, especially when blood sugar runs high; some medicines, including some strong pain relievers and water pills (diuretics); and gallstones or a gallbladder problem. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.
What does a low lipase mean?
A low lipase is uncommon and is rarely a concern on its own. Common reasons include normal variation between people; past surgery that removed part of the pancreas; and less often: lasting pancreas damage, such as long-term pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis.
What can affect my lipase result?
Upper limits differ a lot between labs, so the limit printed on the report is the one to compare with.
What should I ask my doctor about my lipase?
Questions worth taking to the appointment: How many times above the upper limit is my result? Could my kidneys, diabetes or medicines explain a small rise? Should this be repeated, or checked with a scan?
What this page can’t do
It reads each number on its own.
Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.
It doesn't know you.
Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.
It doesn't remember.
Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.
We also make Vita: Health Coach, an app for those parts. It reads your whole report with your medicines and history in mind, answers follow-up questions in plain words, and keeps your reports in one place — for you and for the people you look after.
Vita: Health Coach on the App StoreSources
Stuck on a word? See the medical words. How we choose our sources. More about Vita Health Coach.