What is the cause of a too low lipase level? | Lipase value

What is the cause of a too low lipase level?

Lowered lipase levels in the blood can have various causes. Very often there is no cause for concern if the lipase level is too low, the decrease in lipase level is “idiopathic” (without any apparent cause). Idiopathically lowered lipase levels are often discovered during preventive medical checkups and do not cause the patient any discomfort.

In rare cases, too low a lipase level is caused by another disease, but then other complaints such as abdominal pain or digestive problems usually occur.For example, the lipase value – in contrast to the increased lipase value in acute pancreatitis – can be lowered in chronic pancreatitis (chronic pancreatitis). Too low values may also be noticeable in very rare cases of pancreatic insufficiency (lack of pancreatic function). In children, a low blood lipase level may indicate cystic fibrosis.

However, if too low a lipase level occurs for the first time in adulthood, cystic fibrosis is ruled out as the cause, as this disease is congenital and is already apparent in childhood. If your lipase level is too low and other diseases have been excluded as a cause, no treatment is necessary. Only if, for example, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (lack of pancreatic function) has been diagnosed, artificially produced lipase can be taken in tablet form together with other pancreatic enzymes.

How does the lipase level change in pancreatic cancer?

In the context of a disease with pancreatic cancer (pancreatic carcinoma), an inflammation of the pancreas often occurs simultaneously (so-called concomitant pancreatitis). This often increases the lipase level. In a few cases, a tumor develops from the cells that form the lipase (so-called acinar cells).

These cells then degenerate and multiply uncontrollably, but continue to produce lipase. Even then the lipase level is increased. In this case, the lipase level can be used as a so-called tumor marker.

This means that the lipase value is measured to control the progression of the disease. In practice, however, other blood values are usually determined for this purpose.