Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPurposeCMP ComponentsBefore the TestDuring the TestInterpreting ResultsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Purpose
CMP Components
Before the Test
During the Test
Interpreting Results
Frequently Asked Questions
A comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) is a set of 14blood tests. It gives your healthcare provider valuable information about your body’s metabolism, which is how your body turns food into energy.
The test gives information about your liver and kidney functioning, fluid balance, andelectrolyte levels. It may be done to assess your general health or to diagnose and follow the course of certain diseases and their management.
Also referred to as a metabolic panel, chemistry panel, or chem 14, this is a relatively common test that is done from a single blood draw.
This article discusses the purpose of the CMP test, what it tests for, and what you can expect during the test.
Rafe Swan / Getty Images
Purpose of CMP Test
A CMP helps determine the health of your liver and kidneys and checks the status of your blood sugar and protein levels. It also provides information about your body’selectrolytesand fluid balance.
A CMP is typically done as part of your yearly checkup. It can also be ordered if you are ill and hospitalized.
Your healthcare provider may order a comprehensive metabolic panel based on your risk factors for certain conditions, or to monitor them if you’re already diagnosed. These conditions include:
The CMP doesn’t necessarily diagnose a single condition. Given the breadth of the test, it often gives your healthcare provider a starting point to order more targeted tests to diagnose a specific condition.
The test may also be used to monitor medications that could affect kidney or liver function.These drugs may include:
There are 14 tests that make up a comprehensive metabolic panel. These measures are useful to review together, rather than alone, as patterns of results can be more telling—which is why they are tested at the same time. A CMP test shows the following measurements.
Proteins
Electrolytes
Kidney Tests
Liver Tests
What if Your AST and ALT Is High?Your AST or ALT may be high for several reasons, not all of them serious. One United States study found 8.9% of people included had high ALT levels.However, highAST and ALT levelsmay suggest liver damage, especially when both are true. Your healthcare provider will need to diagnose the exact reason for high AST and/or high ALT.
What if Your AST and ALT Is High?
Your AST or ALT may be high for several reasons, not all of them serious. One United States study found 8.9% of people included had high ALT levels.However, highAST and ALT levelsmay suggest liver damage, especially when both are true. Your healthcare provider will need to diagnose the exact reason for high AST and/or high ALT.
Other
Basic Metabolic Panel vs. CMPThebasic metabolic panel(BMP) is a simpler alternative to the CMP. It includes the same CMP measurements minus the liver and protein tests. Your healthcare provider may order this test if, for example, liver function isn’t a concern.
Basic Metabolic Panel vs. CMP
Thebasic metabolic panel(BMP) is a simpler alternative to the CMP. It includes the same CMP measurements minus the liver and protein tests. Your healthcare provider may order this test if, for example, liver function isn’t a concern.
The ups and downs of blood sugar
Before the CMP Test
A complete metabolic panel takes only a few minutes. It may be done at your healthcare provider’s office or lab facility. It may also be done in an ER setting or if you’ve been admitted to the hospital.
The test may require fasting for a minimum of eight hours, so many people schedule it for first thing in the morning so they can eat when it’s done.
The blood draw will be taken from your arm, so it makes sense to wear something with sleeves that can be easily rolled up.
During the CMP Test
A metabolic panel is based on a single blood draw.
You will be allowed to leave right after the test. Your sample will then be sent to a lab for analysis.
Risks
A comprehensive metabolic panel is generally safe. The only risks stem from the blood draw itself, and these tend to resolve quickly. You may experience:
7 Tips to Make Getting Blood Drawn Painless
Interpreting CMP Results
This gives healthcare providers a comprehensive look at overall metabolic health, particularly the liver and kidneys and their different processes.
Your healthcare provider will typically look for patterns in various results rather than at one specific result. Mildly higher or lower results in one area may not be medically significant.
In the case of someone hospitalized, multiple CMPs may be ordered on different days to monitor progress.
While abnormal tests could indicate serious medical conditions like diabetes and kidney/liver problems, more condition-specific tests will follow to achieve an accurate diagnosis.
If your healthcare provider wants to perform an even deeper metabolic workup, the following additional blood tests can be ordered (if they haven’t been already):
What a Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) Measures
A Word From Verywell
Frequently Asked QuestionsGFR stands for glomerular filtration rate, a measure of creatinine to indicate how well your kidneys function. Your healthcare provider may interpret these results as part of a comprehensive metabolic panel test.Learn MoreEstimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) TestThe CMP is most often used to help detect liver and kidney disorders, diabetes, and heart or other conditions related to electrolyte levels. It may be used in the presence of other disease. For example, the CMP may be used to assess people with COVID-19 infections.Learn MoreWhat to Know About Liver Disease and COVID-19Yes, CMP specimens can be collected at-home (then sent away to a pathology lab) or a person can simply walk-in into a direct access laboratory and order their own labs without a doctor’s order. However, other factors beyond expertise, including storage time, may alter the results.Learn MoreBest At-Home Kidney TestsHow much a CMP costs will depend on where you live, the type of facility where you have the test, and the details of any insurance coverage you may have. For these reasons, the prices vary widely between about $15 out of pocket on a Medicare plan to $200 or more.Learn MoreMedicare Eligibility, Coverage, and More
GFR stands for glomerular filtration rate, a measure of creatinine to indicate how well your kidneys function. Your healthcare provider may interpret these results as part of a comprehensive metabolic panel test.Learn MoreEstimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) Test
GFR stands for glomerular filtration rate, a measure of creatinine to indicate how well your kidneys function. Your healthcare provider may interpret these results as part of a comprehensive metabolic panel test.
Learn MoreEstimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) Test
The CMP is most often used to help detect liver and kidney disorders, diabetes, and heart or other conditions related to electrolyte levels. It may be used in the presence of other disease. For example, the CMP may be used to assess people with COVID-19 infections.Learn MoreWhat to Know About Liver Disease and COVID-19
The CMP is most often used to help detect liver and kidney disorders, diabetes, and heart or other conditions related to electrolyte levels. It may be used in the presence of other disease. For example, the CMP may be used to assess people with COVID-19 infections.
Learn MoreWhat to Know About Liver Disease and COVID-19
Yes, CMP specimens can be collected at-home (then sent away to a pathology lab) or a person can simply walk-in into a direct access laboratory and order their own labs without a doctor’s order. However, other factors beyond expertise, including storage time, may alter the results.Learn MoreBest At-Home Kidney Tests
Yes, CMP specimens can be collected at-home (then sent away to a pathology lab) or a person can simply walk-in into a direct access laboratory and order their own labs without a doctor’s order. However, other factors beyond expertise, including storage time, may alter the results.
Learn MoreBest At-Home Kidney Tests
How much a CMP costs will depend on where you live, the type of facility where you have the test, and the details of any insurance coverage you may have. For these reasons, the prices vary widely between about $15 out of pocket on a Medicare plan to $200 or more.Learn MoreMedicare Eligibility, Coverage, and More
How much a CMP costs will depend on where you live, the type of facility where you have the test, and the details of any insurance coverage you may have. For these reasons, the prices vary widely between about $15 out of pocket on a Medicare plan to $200 or more.
Learn MoreMedicare Eligibility, Coverage, and More
Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer: Decode Your Results
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Comprehensive metabolic panel.American College of Gastroenterology.Medications and the liver.National Kidney Foundation.Which drugs are harmful to your kidneys?National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus.Albumin blood test.National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus.Potassium blood test.Malakouti M, Kataria A, Ali SK, Schenker S.Elevated Liver Enzymes in Asymptomatic Patients - What Should I Do?J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2017 Dec 28;5(4):394-403. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2017.00027.American College of Emergency Physicians.Laboratory Abnormalities.Wu DW, Li YM, Wang F.How Long can we Store Blood Samples: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.EBioMedicine. 2017 Oct;24:277-285. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.09.024College of American Pathologists.Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule.Additional ReadingNational Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus. Medical encyclopedia:Comprehensive metabolic panel.National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus. Medical tests:Comprehensive metabolic panel.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Comprehensive metabolic panel.American College of Gastroenterology.Medications and the liver.National Kidney Foundation.Which drugs are harmful to your kidneys?National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus.Albumin blood test.National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus.Potassium blood test.Malakouti M, Kataria A, Ali SK, Schenker S.Elevated Liver Enzymes in Asymptomatic Patients - What Should I Do?J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2017 Dec 28;5(4):394-403. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2017.00027.American College of Emergency Physicians.Laboratory Abnormalities.Wu DW, Li YM, Wang F.How Long can we Store Blood Samples: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.EBioMedicine. 2017 Oct;24:277-285. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.09.024College of American Pathologists.Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule.Additional ReadingNational Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus. Medical encyclopedia:Comprehensive metabolic panel.National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus. Medical tests:Comprehensive metabolic panel.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Comprehensive metabolic panel.American College of Gastroenterology.Medications and the liver.National Kidney Foundation.Which drugs are harmful to your kidneys?National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus.Albumin blood test.National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus.Potassium blood test.Malakouti M, Kataria A, Ali SK, Schenker S.Elevated Liver Enzymes in Asymptomatic Patients - What Should I Do?J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2017 Dec 28;5(4):394-403. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2017.00027.American College of Emergency Physicians.Laboratory Abnormalities.Wu DW, Li YM, Wang F.How Long can we Store Blood Samples: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.EBioMedicine. 2017 Oct;24:277-285. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.09.024College of American Pathologists.Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule.
American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Comprehensive metabolic panel.
American College of Gastroenterology.Medications and the liver.
National Kidney Foundation.Which drugs are harmful to your kidneys?
National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus.Albumin blood test.
National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus.Potassium blood test.
Malakouti M, Kataria A, Ali SK, Schenker S.Elevated Liver Enzymes in Asymptomatic Patients - What Should I Do?J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2017 Dec 28;5(4):394-403. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2017.00027.
American College of Emergency Physicians.Laboratory Abnormalities.
Wu DW, Li YM, Wang F.How Long can we Store Blood Samples: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.EBioMedicine. 2017 Oct;24:277-285. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.09.024
College of American Pathologists.Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule.
National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus. Medical encyclopedia:Comprehensive metabolic panel.National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus. Medical tests:Comprehensive metabolic panel.
National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus. Medical encyclopedia:Comprehensive metabolic panel.
National Institutes for Health. MedlinePlus. Medical tests:Comprehensive metabolic panel.
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