When you eat, lipase is released into your digestive tract to help your intestines break down the fats in the food you’re eating. Lipase also allows cell nutrients and cell waste to move through the walls of the cells in your body. Certain levels of lipase are needed to maintain normal digestive and cell function. Abnormally high levels of the enzyme in your blood can be a sign of a health problem. The serum lipase test is used to measure the amount of lipase in the body. The lipase test is often ordered at the same time as the amylase test. An amylase test is used to diagnose diseases of the pancreas.