BLOOD TEST · SMART CARE POLYCLINIC, DEIRA
Amylase explained
A digestive enzyme from the pancreas, checked when upper tummy pain could be the pancreas.
Order it on its own, or build your own blood test profile — 4 or more tests save up to 30–50%.
What the Amylase test measures
Amylase helps digest starch and is made mainly by the pancreas and the salivary glands. When the pancreas is inflamed it leaks into the blood, so the level rises, usually alongside lipase.
What the result tells you
If it's raised
Together with severe upper abdominal pain, it can point to an inflamed pancreas. Gallstones, alcohol and some medicines are common causes.
Read with lipase
Lipase is more specific to the pancreas and stays raised for longer; the two are read together.
Mild rises
Salivary gland problems, kidney disease and some bowel conditions can nudge it up without the pancreas being involved.
How to prepare
- Fasting
- Not usually required
- Best time
- Any time of day
- Worth knowing
- If you have sudden severe abdominal pain, go to an emergency department rather than booking a test.
What can move the result
A result outside the usual range does not on its own mean something is wrong. These are the everyday explanations a doctor considers first.
Packages that include it
Frequently asked questions
Amylase helps digest starch and is made mainly by the pancreas and the salivary glands. When the pancreas is inflamed it leaks into the blood, so the level rises, usually alongside lipase. If it's raised: Together with severe upper abdominal pain, it can point to an inflamed pancreas. Gallstones, alcohol and some medicines are common causes.
Fasting: Not usually required. Best time: Any time of day. If you have sudden severe abdominal pain, go to an emergency department rather than booking a test.
Commonly: gallstones; alcohol; some medicines; kidney function; salivary gland swelling, such as mumps. A single result is not a diagnosis. Values are read against the laboratory's own reference range and alongside your history, your symptoms and the rest of the panel — which is why every package includes a doctor to go through them with you.
At Smart Care Polyclinic, 29 Doha Centre, Al Maktoum Rd, Deira, Dubai. It is included in the Gut Health, the Gut Health 360°, the Gut Health Plus, the Gut Health + 360°, or it can be ordered on its own. Walk in during opening hours or call +971 (0)4 379 3562.
Sources
Written from current guidance and reviewed 18 October 2026.
- Amylase testMedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine
- Acute pancreatitisNHS