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ACE Test – Indications, Procedure, Results

Last updated: February 8, 2026 Medically reviewed by: RxHarun Orthopedic Specialist Doctor Reading time: 8 min read

The ACE test measures the level of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the blood. The ACE test measures the level of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the blood. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) test is primarily ordered to help diagnose and monitor sarcoidosis. It is often ordered as part of an investigation into the cause of a group of troubling chronic symptoms that are possibly due to sarcoidosis.

How the Test is Performed

A blood sample is needed.

How to Prepare for the Test

Follow your health care provider’s instructions for not eating or drinking for up to 12 hours before the test. If you are on steroid medicine, ask your provider if you need to stop the medicine before the test, because steroids can decrease ACE levels. DO NOT stop any medicine before talking to your provider.

How the Test will Feel

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or slight bruising. This soon goes away.

Why the Test is Performed

This test may be commonly ordered to help diagnose and monitor a disorder called sarcoidosis. People with sarcoidosis may have their ACE level tested regularly to check how severe the disease is and how well treatment is working.

This test also helps confirm Gaucher disease and leprosy.

Normal Results

Normal values vary based on your age and the test method used. Adults have an ACE level of less than 40 micrograms/L.

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

What Abnormal Results Mean

Higher than normal ACE levels may be a sign of sarcoidosis. ACE levels may rise or fall as sarcoidosis worsens or improves.

A higher than normal ACE level may also be seen in several other diseases and disorders, including:

  • Cancer of the lymph tissue (Hodgkin’s disease )
  • Diabetes
  • Liver swelling and inflammation ( hepatitis ) due to alcohol use
  • Lung diseases such as asthma, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or tuberculosis
  • Kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Overactive thyroid ( hyperthyroidism )

Lower than normal ACE level may indicate:

  • Chronic liver disease
  • An eating disorder called anorexia nervosa
  • Steroid therapy (usually prednisone)
  • Therapy for sarcoidosis
  • Underactive thyroid ( hypothyroidism )

Risks

Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.

The risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:

  • Excessive bleeding
  • Fainting or feeling lightheaded
  • Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
  • Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)

FAQ

What diseases cause high ACE levels?

A higher than normal ACE level may also be seen in several other diseases and disorders, including:

  • Cancer of the lymph tissue (Hodgkin’s disease)
  • Diabetes.
  • Liver swelling and inflammation (hepatitis) due to alcohol use.
  • Lung diseases such as asthma, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or tuberculosis.

What does the angiotensin-converting enzyme mean in a blood test?

  • The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is an enzyme that converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II helps increase blood pressure by causing small blood vessels in the body to tighten or narrow.

What does it mean if your angiotensin-converting enzyme is high?

  • Higher levels of ACE may mean that you have sarcoidosis. But you can have normal ACE levels and still have sarcoidosis. Other conditions that may cause higher levels of ACE include Primary biliary cirrhosis.

What diseases cause low ACE levels?

Lower than normal ACE level may indicate:
  • Chronic liver disease.
  • An eating disorder is called anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa. …
  • Steroid therapy (usually prednisone)
  • Therapy for sarcoidosis.
  • Underactive thyroid ( hypothyroidism ) Hypothyroidism.

How can I lower my ACE naturally?

  • There are natural ACE inhibitors and alternatives to blood pressure medications that you can add to your diets, such as pomegranate juice, flaxseed, beet juice, apple juice, prunes, dark chocolate, kiwis and blueberries.

What does an angiotensin-converting enzyme do?

  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are medications that help relax the veins and arteries to lower blood pressure.

What causes low angiotensin enzymes?

  • Decreased ACE levels may also be seen in people with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Lung diseases such as emphysema, lung cancer, and cystic fibrosis. Starvation.

Where is the angiotensin-converting enzyme produced in the body?

  • The liver creates and releases a protein called angiotensinogen. This is then broken up by renin, an enzyme produced in the kidney, to form angiotensin I.

What is an ACE cough?

  • As many as one-third of the people who take widely prescribed cardiovascular drugs called ACE inhibitors develop a dry, hacking cough that is so bothersome they often stop taking the drugs. Well, breathe a sigh of relief. There may be an ironclad cure for this “ACE cough”: iron supplements.

Can you test for ACE2 receptors?

  • A blood test that quantifies the protein ACE2, the cellular protein which allows entry of the coronavirus into cells, as well as ACE2 fragments, produced as a result of interaction with the virus, could be a simple and effective method for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a study led by Javier Sáez-Valero

What foods contain angiotensin?

  • Several food products like milk, gouda cheese, soybean, tofu fermented soybean food, peptides derived from egg white, peptides from Royal jelly, and the edible mushroom (Tricholoma giganteum), and enzymatic hydrolysate of defatted canola meal have been found to be effective as an ACE inhibitor.

Is Pomegranate an ACE inhibitor?

ACE inhibitors.
  • These types of drugs are used to control high blood pressure and to treat heart failure and prevent kidney damage in people with diabetes. Scientists believe pomegranate juice has some of the same effects as ACE inhibitors and could make the drug too strong. ACE inhibitors include: Benazepril (Lotensin)

What is the normal function of ACE2?

  • In addition to its protective role in the cardiovascular system, ACE2 has a direct protective role in alveolar epithelial cells. In the lungs, ACE2 has numerous physiological functions, most of which are protective against lung injury.

Do ACE inhibitors cause inflammation?

  • Renin-inhibitors, ACE inhibitors, and ARB modulate angiotensin activities in inflammatory processes. Receptors, which are expressed in immune cells, have been shown to trigger inflammatory pathways.

What drugs are angiotensin receptor blockers?

Examples of angiotensin II receptor blockers include:
  • Azilsartan (Edarbi)
  • Candesartan (Atacand)
  • Eprosartan.
  • Irbesartan (Avapro)
  • Losartan (Cozaar)
  • Olmesartan (Benicar)
  • Telmisartan (Micardis)
  • Valsartan (Diovan)

Does ACE2 increase with age?

  • ACE2 expression increases with age in the setting of alveolar damage observed in patients on mechanical ventilation, providing a potential mechanism for higher Covid-19 mortality in the elderly.

What does ACE2 do in Covid?

  • Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals. Many people are aware that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, attaches to a cellular receptor, called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 or, more commonly, ACE2. Viral attachment to ACE2 is the first of two steps necessary for cell entry and infection.

What is the best natural ACE inhibitor?

Natural ACE Inhibitors for Heart Health
  • Garlic.
  • Grape Seed Extract.
  • Indian Gooseberry (Emblica Officinalis)This is one of the strongest herbal ACE inhibitors and is also known by the name “amla” in the medical literature.
  • Lion’s Mane mushroom.
  • Pomegranate Juice.
  • Pycnogenol.
  • Royal Jelly.
  • Whey Protein.

What herbs are ACE inhibitors?

  • The water extracts of rosemary, rosemary LA had the highest ACE inhibitory activity (90.5%), followed by lemon balm (81.9%) and oregano (37.4 %). Lower levels of ACE inhibition were observed with ethanol extracts of oregano (18.5 %) and lemon balm (0.5 %).

Where is ACE2 located in the body?

  • ACE2 protein expression is present in the heart, kidney, testis, lung (type I and type II alveolar epithelial cells), nasal, and oral mucosa and nasopharynx (basal layer of the non-keratinizing squamous epithelium), smooth muscle cells, and endothelium of vessels from the stomach, small intestine, and colon, in smooth muscle

Does ACE2 lower blood pressure?

  • Apart from its role as a receptor for SARS-CoV-2 (and for both the SARS-CoV and the related human respiratory coronavirus NL63), ACE2 is well-known for its role in hypertension. ACE2 modulates blood pressure and maintains blood pressure homeostasis by negatively regulating the renin-angiotensin system (RAS).

Who has ACE2 deficiency?

  • Some degree of ACE2 deficiency has been associated with a variety of conditions including older age, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which also characterize people as more likely to be infected and to present more severe complications.

How do I increase my ACE2?

  • There are many common compounds that can increase the expression of the ACE2 receptor including Vitamin C, Metformin, Resveratrol, Vitamin B3, and Vitamin D.

What does the angiotensin-converting enzyme do?

  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are medications that help relax the veins and arteries to lower blood pressure.

What herbal tea is good for high blood pressure?

Healthy Teas for high blood pressure
  • Green tea. Green tea is loaded with health benefits. …
  • Hibiscus tea. The beautiful red leaves of hibiscus flowers are used to prepare tea which is good for high blood pressure. …
  • Oolong tea. Oolong tea has the properties of dark and green tea.

What medications increase ACE2 receptors?

  • Drugs that raise serum/tissue ACE2 levels include ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs) that are commonly used in patients with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and/or diabetes.

What does a high angiotensin-converting enzyme mean?

  • Higher than normal ACE levels may be a sign of sarcoidosis. ACE levels may rise or fall as sarcoidosis worsens or improves. A higher than normal ACE level may also be seen in several other diseases and disorders, including cancer of the lymph tissue (Hodgkin’s disease )

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this article a replacement for a doctor?

No. It is educational content only. Patients should consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment.

When should I seek urgent care?

Seek urgent care for severe symptoms, rapidly worsening condition, breathing difficulty, severe pain, neurological changes, or any emergency warning sign.

References

Add references, clinical guidelines, textbooks, journal articles, or trusted medical sources here. You can edit this area later with a custom field named _rx_references.

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Written by Dr. Harun Ar Rashid, MD - Arthritis, Bones, Joints Pain, Trauma, and Internal Medicine Specialist

Dr. Md. Harun Ar Rashid, MPH, MD, PhD, is a highly respected medical specialist celebrated for his exceptional clinical expertise and unwavering commitment to patient care. With advanced qualifications including MPH, MD, and PhD, he integrates cutting-edge research with a compassionate approach to medicine, ensuring that every patient receives personalized and effective treatment. His extensive training and hands-on experience enable him to diagnose complex conditions accurately and develop innovative treatment strategies tailored to individual needs. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Harun Ar Rashid is dedicated to medical education and research, writing and inventory creative thinking, innovative idea, critical care managementing make in his community to outreach, often participating in initiatives that promote health awareness and advance medical knowledge. His career is a testament to the high standards represented by his credentials, and he continues to contribute significantly to his field, driving improvements in both patient outcomes and healthcare practices. Born and educated in Bangladesh, Dr. Rashid earned his BPT from the University of Dhaka before pursuing postgraduate training internationally. He completed his MD in Internal Medicine at King’s College London, where he developed a special interest in inflammatory arthritis and metabolic bone disease. He then undertook a PhD in Orthopedic Science at the University of Oxford, conducting pioneering research on cytokine signaling pathways in rheumatoid arthritis. Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Rashid returned to clinical work with a fellowship in interventional pain management at the Rx University School of Medicine, refining his skills in image-guided joint injections and minimally invasive pain-relief techniques.