How do I lower my Alpha Amylase?
As already described, elevated alpha-amylase is measured primarily in cases of damage to the tissue of the pancreas or head salivary gland, which can be associated with various clinical pictures, but can also occur as a harmless norm variant. A reduction of alpha-amylase should therefore primarily be achieved by treating the underlying cause. It should be mentioned here that the most common reason for an increase in amylase is chronic and acute pancreatitis.
These in turn are triggered in the majority of cases by pancreatic drainage disorders caused by gallstones and alcohol consumption. If outflow disorders are excluded as the cause of the increase in amylase activity, a reduction in alcohol consumption can therefore be helpful in order to spare a possibly affected pancreas and thus ultimately also to reduce alpha-amylase. However, a symptomatic lowering of the blood amylase levels is actually possible.
Various drugs are known to cause a drop in enzyme activity in blood serum. These include above all beta-blockers such as propanolol. However, the actual benefit of a targeted drug lowering of alpha-amylase activity is questionable.
How does stress affect alpha-amylase?
Apart from the fact that the alpha-amylase in blood serum increases in various organic diseases, it has become clear in recent years that psychological stress also leads to increased serum concentrations of the enzyme. This is related to the connection of the salivary glands with the sympathetic nervous system. This is the part of the so-called autonomic nervous system that is activated in stress situations and leads to increased reactivity and performance.
The secretion of amylases is associated with the concentration of plasma noradrenalin and is thus indirectly regulated by the sympathetic nervous system. For this reason, salivary alpha-amylase could in future be used as a biomarker for stress-related reactions of the body. It is interesting to note that alpha-amylase is released largely independently of cortisol, probably the most important stress hormone, and thus follows a different secretion pattern.
It could thus possibly be a useful extension of stress diagnostics.In addition, some studies have suggested that amylase is even a more sensitive marker of stress than cortisol, which has been regularly used for this purpose. Consequently, it has now also been recognized that the serum concentration of alpha-amylase is lowered by drugs of the beta-blocker group, such as propanolol, which are known to suppress the sensation of stress and physical reactions to stress, such as tachycardia and an increase in blood pressure.
