Amylase Test
Reviewed
Also called: Amy test, serum amylase, urine amylase
An amylase test measures the amount of amylase in your blood or urine (pee). Amylase helps you digest carbohydrates.
Specimen: Blood, urine, or peritoneal fluid
Why this test may be ordered
- To diagnose pancreatitis or other pancreatic disorders.
- To monitor chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, or other conditions affecting amylase levels.
Preparation and collection
You should not drink alcohol for 24 hours before having an amylase blood or urine test. If you are having a blood test, your provider may also tell you to fast (not eat or drink) for two hours before the test. Be sure to tell your provider about any prescription or over-the-counter medicines you are taking because they may affect your test results. But don't stop taking any medicines unless your provider tells you to.
For an amylase blood test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. For an amylase urine test, you will need to give a urine sample for the test. Your provider may request that you collect all your urine during a 24-hour period.
There is very little risk to having a blood test. During a blood test, you may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly. There is no known risk to having a urine test.
Understanding results
It's normal to have a small amount of amylase in your blood and urine. But having too much amylase may be a sign of a disorder of the pancreas or salivary glands or another medical condition.
- High amylase level: High levels of amylase in blood or urine may be a sign of: acute (sudden) pancreatitis, a blockage in a duct (small tube) in the pancreas, cancer or a benign (not cancerous) tumor of the pancreas. Limitation: Lipase tests are considered to be more accurate for diagnosing pancreatitis, especially when pancreatitis is caused by alcohol use disorder. Next step: If your provider suspects you have pancreatitis, they may order a lipase blood test, along with an amylase blood test.
- Low amylase level: Low levels of amylase in blood or urine are uncommon, but may be a sign of: chronic pancreatitis causing permanent damage to the cells that make amylase, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, liver disease, pre-eclampsia (a type of high blood pressure in pregnancy). Limitation: Be sure to tell your provider about any prescription or over-the-counter medicines you are taking because they may affect your test results. Next step: To learn more about your results, talk with your provider.
- Blood test: slight pain or bruising at needle site.
- Urine test: no significant physical risks.
- Peritoneal fluid test: small risk of bowel or bladder damage, bleeding, or infection.
- False positives or negatives are possible; results should be interpreted in context with symptoms and other tests.
What to do next
To learn more about your results, talk with your provider.
- What do my amylase levels indicate about my pancreas or salivary glands?
- Do I need additional tests, like a lipase test?
- What follow-up care or monitoring is needed?
Evidence source
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.