What is the difference between a CMP and a BMP?

A BMP includes 8 of the 14 tests in a CMP. It does not include total protein, albumin, bilirubin or the liver enzymes ALP, ALT and AST.

Do I need to fast before a CMP?

You may need to fast for several hours, MedlinePlus says. Follow the instructions you were given.

What is the UK equivalent of a CMP?

UK labs usually report the same tests in groups, such as urea and electrolytes (a renal panel) and liver blood tests, plus glucose and calcium.

CMP / METABOLIC PANEL

Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) results explained

A comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) is a routine blood test that measures 14 substances: glucose, calcium, four electrolytes (sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, chloride), two kidney waste products (BUN and creatinine), proteins (albumin and total protein), and liver tests (ALP, ALT, AST and bilirubin).

Why it’s confusing

Fourteen lines of abbreviations arrive at once, covering several different organs, with a flag or two that may be unrelated to anything you came in for.

UK reports usually split the same tests into groups — “U&Es” for kidneys and electrolytes and “LFTs” or liver blood tests for the liver — so people comparing UK and US reports can’t find the same names.

How to read it

Glucose: your blood sugar at the time of the test.

Calcium: a mineral needed by nerves, muscles and the heart.

Electrolytes — sodium, potassium, bicarbonate (CO2) and chloride: minerals that control fluid balance and the acid–base balance of the blood.

Kidney tests — BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and creatinine: waste products the kidneys filter out. An eGFR is often calculated from creatinine.

Proteins — albumin and total protein: albumin is the main protein in blood and is made in the liver.

Liver tests — ALP, ALT and AST (enzymes mainly made in the liver) and bilirubin (a waste product from the breakdown of old red cells).

A basic metabolic panel (BMP) includes 8 of these 14 — it leaves out the proteins, bilirubin and liver enzymes.

What it does not mean

That one flagged line points to a specific disease. Your doctor compares all the results and your history.
That a glucose result means the same whether or not you had eaten. Check whether you were asked to fast.
That names on a UK report and a US report always line up. The groupings differ.

Where you’ll see it

Routine check-up results, often as “CMP”, “chem 14” or “metabolic panel”.
In the UK, as U&Es (renal panel) and liver blood tests.

Questions worth asking

Ask your doctor

Which of these results matter for me?
Was I meant to fast, and does that affect any result?
Do any results need repeating?

Got a metabolic panel you can’t follow? Attach the report or paste the text, and Clariti will explain each line.

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Common questions

What is the difference between a CMP and a BMP?: A BMP includes 8 of the 14 tests in a CMP. It does not include total protein, albumin, bilirubin or the liver enzymes ALP, ALT and AST.
Do I need to fast before a CMP?: You may need to fast for several hours, MedlinePlus says. Follow the instructions you were given.
What is the UK equivalent of a CMP?: UK labs usually report the same tests in groups, such as urea and electrolytes (a renal panel) and liver blood tests, plus glucose and calcium.

Sources

Reading a scan report rather than a blood test or letter? Radily’s radiology report phrase guides explain the wording radiologists use.