Faecal Elastase Test of Pancreatic Enzyme Function

Order a Faecal Elastase Test to check the enzyme function of your pancreas.

With our easy at home stool kit, you'll have your faecal elastase levels in days, tested in an accredited lab and reviewed by a doctor.

What you need to know about our Faecal Elastase Test

Your pancreas is essential to gut health as it releases several enzymes into your bowel to digest carbohydrate, fat and protein. If your pancreas isn't releasing these enzymes you can struggle with chronic diarrhoea and weight loss, with pale, loose, fatty stools that float. This is called "panreactic exocrine insufficiency" or "PEI".

We can check it your pancreas is producing enough enzymes by measuring the level of elastase in your stool.

What causes pancreatic enzyme insufficiency (PEI)?

Pancreatic enzyme problems are not common if you're otherwise in good health. The causes of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency include:

• Chronic pancreatitis & high alcohol intake
• Diabetes
• Ageing - 5% of people over 70 years old have PEI
• Coeliac disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Bariatric (weight loss) surgery
• Pancreatic tumours
• Cystic fibrosis (children)
• Smoking

What are the symptoms of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency?

Pancreatic enzyme insufficiency causes maldigestion and malabsorption. Common symptoms of pancratic enzyme insufficiency include:

• Chronic diarrhoea
• Steatorrhoea - loose, pale, greasy stools that float
• Bloating
• Stomach pain
• Weight loss
• Vitamin deficiencies - high risk of deficiency of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D E and K in particular

What does our Faecal Elastase Test check for and why?

Your pancreas releases enzymes that help you digest your food. We can check the ability of your pancreas to release these enzymes by measuring the levels of elastase in your stool.

Elastase is an enzyme released into your gut by the pancreas and is therefore a marker of how well the pancreas is able to release enzymes. A low faecal elastase level can indicate pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.

What do the Faecal Elastase test results mean?

We interpret the levels of elastase in stool as follows:

Description provided by Selph.