Common conditions associated with elevated amylase include:

Acute Pancreatitis:
- Amylase levels can rise 3-6 times above normal within hours of an attack and usually peak within 12–72 hours.
- Levels start to fall after a few days but can remain elevated for a week.
Chronic Pancreatitis:
- Levels may rise during acute flare-ups, though not as high as in acute pancreatitis.
Pancreatic Pseudocyst:
- Amylase levels may be elevated in people with pseudocysts resulting from chronic pancreatitis or trauma.
Other Causes of Elevated Amylase:
- Gallbladder disease (cholecystitis, gallstones)
- Gastrointestinal perforation (peptic ulcer)
- Peritonitis
- Renal failure (as amylase is excreted by the kidneys)
- Macroamylasemia (amylase forms complexes with proteins in blood, reducing excretion)
- Salivary gland inflammation or blockage (parotitis, mumps)
- Some cancers (ovarian, lung, and pancreatic cancer)

Causes of low amylase levels may include:

Advanced Pancreatic Damage:
- Chronic pancreatitis, late-stage pancreatic cancer, or cystic fibrosis may lead to reduced amylase production due to pancreatic insufficiency.
Liver Disease:
- Liver diseases like cirrhosis can reduce amylase levels.
Kidney Disease:
- If kidneys are unable to clear amylase from the blood effectively, this can sometimes present as decreased amylase levels in later-stage kidney disease.
Preeclampsia:
- This pregnancy complication has been associated with decreased amylase levels.

Timing of test: Amylase levels may not peak immediately after the onset of symptoms, so repeat testing is sometimes required.
Other tests: Lipase is another pancreatic enzyme that is often tested alongside amylase for a more specific diagnosis of pancreatic disease, especially in acute pancreatitis where lipase remains elevated longer.