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Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
The CMP test measures 14 components of the blood to assess liver and kidney function, hypertension, proteins, blood sugar, and calcium. Read moreTest details
Sample type:
Blood
Preparation:
Overnight fasting is required for this panel (10-12 hours without food).
What
Includes 14 tests: ALP, ALT, AST, bilirubin, BUN, creatinine, sodium, potassium, carbon dioxide, chloride, albumin, total protein, glucose, and calcium.
Who
Must be 18+ years of age to purchase.
How
Blood
Schedule an appointment, then visit a Quest Diagnostics patient service center location.
About the Test
The comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) helps assess overall health, detect early signs of disease, and monitor chronic conditions. It measures 14 components: blood sugar (glucose), calcium, total protein, liver enzymes, bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, albumin, carbon dioxide, and key electrolytes. Abnormal CMP test results may indicate various health conditions, such as developing or active liver or kidney disease, hypertension, or diabetes.
With Quest, you can buy a CMP test online and get testing at a nearby location – no doctor’s visit required.
How it works
questhealth.com offers 100+ consumer-initiated Quest Diagnostics lab tests to empower you to have more control over your health journey. Choose from a variety of test types that best suit your needs.
FAQs
Yes, a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel is also known as chem 14, chemistry panel, chemistry screen, CMP, and metabolic panel.
The liver uses enzymes to break down toxic substances so the body can safely process them. When liver cells are damaged or inflamed, their enzymes leak into the bloodstream, raising liver enzyme levels in the blood. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and bilirubin are enzymes found in the liver. These enzymes are measured to evaluate liver health and determine how well your liver performs its normal functions.
Albumin, together with globulin, forms the total protein level on the Comprehensive Metabolic Panel. Globulins are critical for liver function, blood clotting, moving nutrients throughout the body, and fighting infection. Some globulins are produced by the liver; others are made by the immune system in response to an infection or an allergic reaction.
Along with total protein, the CMP indicates the ratio of albumin to globulin (A/G ratio) to detect whether your protein level is abnormal. If your total protein level and A/G ratio are abnormal, this may indicate that your body is not digesting or absorbing proteins properly or that your kidney or liver are not functioning correctly. If your A/G ratio is excessively high or low, further blood and urine testing may be suggested.
Creatinine, BUN, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) provide information about the overall health of the kidneys. The kidneys filter creatinine and BUN from the blood and remove them from the body. An eGFR measures how much blood the renal glomeruli remove every minute based on your body size, indicating how efficiently the kidneys are functioning.
In addition, a CMP includes a BUN/Creatinine ratio—which, if elevated, may suggest a condition that causes decreased blood flow to the kidneys, such as dehydration or congestive heart failure.
Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals consumed through food and drink. Your kidneys tightly regulate and balance water, pH (acid/base, the ratio of acids to bases in the body), and electrolyte levels in your body, which are essential for the proper functioning of your nerves, muscles, heart, and brain.
Although commonly used interchangeably, salt and sodium are not the same. Table salt is sodium chloride, a crystal-like type of sodium obtained through the diet. Sodium is a mineral needed by the body in relatively small amounts and one of the chemical elements found in salt. More than 70 percent of dietary sodium is obtained through packaged and prepared foods, not from table salt added while preparing or eating food.
You may be able to use your FSA or HSA funds to purchase lab tests at questhealth.com. Please review your FSA/HSA plan or check with a tax professional to confirm specific requirements for individual eligibility.
Our references
FDA. Sodium in your diet. www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet