Enzymes
Lipase
A fat-digesting enzyme made almost entirely by the pancreas.
Unit U/LTypical adult range 12–53 U/L
What it is
A fat-digesting enzyme made almost entirely by the pancreas.
Why it matters
It is more specific to the pancreas than amylase and stays raised longer, which makes it the better of the two.
Reading the number
It stays up for a week or more after an episode, so it can catch something amylase has already missed. Kidney disease raises it modestly without any pancreatic problem.
What moves it
pancreatic inflammationkidney functionalcoholsome medications
Read alongside
When to raise it
Worth discussing a clearly raised value, particularly with abdominal pain.
Also known as
On a report in another language.
A lab report names this analyte in its own language. Vitals Vault recognises each of these and files them all under Lipase.
LipasémiaLipaas
Catalog entry last updated 2026-08-28. Browse all 165 metrics.