Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) (CMP) is a blood test panel that measures a broad set of chemistry values in a lab report. It includes glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, carbon dioxide, total protein, albumin, magnesium, phosphorus, globulin, and anion gap. The CMP is one of the most common lab panels used for a broad snapshot of blood chemistry. Its CMP results can be reviewed as a group or by individual value, depending on the blood test context and the normal CMP range shown by the lab.
Read the CMP guideWhat Is a CMP?
CMP stands for Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP). It is one of the most commonly ordered lab panels and is often listed in a blood test or lab report as a grouped chemistry panel. The CMP includes glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, carbon dioxide, total protein, albumin, magnesium, phosphorus, globulin, and anion gap. In many lab reports, these values are shown with both the measured result and the normal CMP range used by that lab. The CMP blood test gives a broad look at several related chemistry values rather than a single measurement.
Why Is It Ordered?
The CMP is often included in routine checkups, pre-procedure screening, and ongoing health monitoring over time. It provides a snapshot of blood chemistry values that can be tracked across different lab reports. CMP blood test results can also be compared from one date to another when a record set includes more than one panel. This makes CMP useful for data review, trend tracking, and lab report organization.
What Does It Include?
CMP values can be grouped by type in a lab report. Glucose is listed on the panel as a single blood sugar-related value. Kidney-related chemistry markers include blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Electrolyte values include sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, along with the anion gap that is often reported alongside these measures. Protein-related values include total protein, albumin, and globulin. In a CMP blood test, each result is usually shown with the lab’s reference interval so the CMP results can be read against the normal CMP range.
Tests in This Panel
Glucose
Glucose is the amount of glucose, or blood sugar, measured in a blood sample. On a lab report, Glucose helps show how much sugar is circulating in the blood at the time of the test. In a metabolic panel, the Glucose result is often reviewed alongside other chemistry markers to give a broader snapshot of blood chemistry.
Blood Urea Nitrogen
BUNBlood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) is a lab value that measures the amount of urea nitrogen in the blood, a waste product made from protein breakdown. It is reported as BUN on a blood test or Blood Urea Nitrogen on a lab report and helps describe how blood chemistry is changing over time.
Creatinine
Creatinine is a waste product measured in blood and used as part of a metabolic panel. It is commonly shown on a blood test as Creatinine and helps describe how the body is handling muscle breakdown products and fluid balance. The Creatinine test is often read with other lab values to understand overall blood chemistry.
Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate
eGFREstimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) is a calculated lab value that estimates how well the kidneys filter blood. On a lab report, eGFR is usually reported from creatinine, age, sex, and sometimes race-adjusted equations, and it helps show overall filtering capacity. eGFR is commonly included on a metabolic panel and is often reviewed with creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN).
Sodium
NaSodium (Na) is a lab value that measures the amount of sodium in blood, usually reported in mmol/L. Sodium on a blood test helps show how concentrated the blood sample is and how water balance is reflected in the result. On a metabolic panel, Na is read alongside other chemistry markers to describe the overall composition of the blood sample.
Potassium
KPotassium (K) is a blood electrolyte measured on a lab report to show how much K is circulating in the bloodstream. It is commonly included in a metabolic panel and helps describe fluid balance, cell function, and the overall chemical makeup of blood. High or low K values on a blood test are read alongside other markers such as sodium and creatinine.
Chloride
ClChloride (Cl) is a blood chemistry value that measures the amount of chloride, a major charged mineral in the fluid outside cells. On a lab report, Cl helps describe fluid balance and how the body keeps electrolytes in a steady range. It is commonly included in a Metabolic Panel and reported in mmol/L.
Calcium
CaCalcium (Ca) is a blood chemistry value reported on a metabolic panel that shows how much calcium is present in the sample. Calcium on a lab report is read as part of the body’s overall mineral and fluid balance, and the Ca result is often considered alongside albumin and other metabolic markers. It helps describe whether the Calcium normal range is being maintained or whether the Calcium test result is higher or lower than expected.
Carbon Dioxide
CO2Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a blood test value that measures the total amount of carbon dioxide in serum or plasma, mostly as bicarbonate. It is commonly included in a metabolic panel and helps describe blood chemistry balance on a CO2 on a blood test. The Carbon Dioxide result is often read alongside other metabolic panel markers to understand overall fluid and acid-base patterns.
Total Protein
Total Protein is a lab value that measures the overall amount of protein in blood. Total Protein on a lab report helps summarize the protein balance of the fluid part of blood and is often reviewed as part of a metabolic panel. Changes in Total Protein can reflect shifts in hydration, protein levels in the bloodstream, or other factors that influence blood composition.
Albumin
Albumin is a blood protein measured on a lab report to show how much of this major transport protein is present in the blood. In a Metabolic Panel, Albumin helps describe blood composition, protein balance, and fluid status. Albumin test results are often reviewed with other markers to understand whether the value is within the Albumin normal range or shifted high or low.
Magnesium
MgMagnesium (Mg) is a mineral measured on a blood test as part of some metabolic panels. It helps describe the balance of Mg in blood and how it compares with the Magnesium normal range on a lab report. This lab value is read with other markers to understand the overall chemistry pattern, not by itself.
Phosphorus
PPhosphorus (P) is a mineral measured in blood to show how much phosphorus is circulating in the body. On a lab report, it is often used in a metabolic panel to help describe mineral balance and how the body is handling intake, release, and removal of P.
Globulin
Globulin is the non-albumin protein fraction measured on a blood test and shown on a lab report. The globulin value on a lab report describes the blood protein balance and is often reviewed together with albumin and the albumin/globulin ratio (A/G ratio). A globulin test result is interpreted against the globulin normal range printed by the laboratory, and results can shift with hydration, sample handling, and lab method. Total globulin on a blood test is usually reported in g/dL.
Anion Gap
Anion Gap is a calculated value from a metabolic panel that reflects the balance between measured positively and negatively charged substances in blood. On an Anion Gap on a lab report or Anion Gap on a blood test, it helps summarize how the basic chemistry results fit together. The Anion Gap test is commonly reported in mmol/L and is read with other metabolic panel values for context.
How to Prepare
Some CMP blood test orders are drawn with fasting instructions, while others are not. The lab report or collection site typically notes whether fasting is part of the CMP setup. A standard blood sample is usually collected from a vein and processed as a serum or plasma chemistry panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CMP stand for?
What does a CMP blood test measure?
Do I need to fast for a CMP test?
What's the difference between CMP and a Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)?
What are normal CMP results?
How often is a CMP test ordered?
How are flagged CMP values read?
Why do CMP results vary between labs?
Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation. Reference ranges may vary by laboratory. Always discuss your results with a qualified healthcare professional.