This is not a screening test for future pancreatic disease. Description Amylase testing is done on both blood and urine. The laboratory may use any of several testing methods that involve mixing the blood or urine sample with a substance with which amylase is known to react. By measuring the end-product or the reaction time, technicians can calculate the amount of amylase present in the sample. More sophisticated methods separately measure the amylase made by the pancreas and the amylase made by the salivary glands.
Urine testing is a better long-term monitor of amylase levels.
The kidneys quickly move extra amylase from the blood into the urine. Urine levels rise 6-10 hours after blood levels and stay high longer. Results are usually available the same day. In most cases, no special preparation is necessary for a person undergoing an amylase blood test. Patients taking longer term urine amylase tests will be given a container and instructions for collecting the urine at home.