Understanding High and Low Ranges in a Complete Metabolic Panel

Group of 14 blood tests often used in medical diagnosis.

A Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP) is a group of 14 tests that provide important information about the current status of your kidneys, liver, electrolyte and acid/base balance, blood sugar, and blood proteins. Understanding the reference ranges for each test in the CMP is crucial for interpreting your results and knowing what steps to take next.

Reference Ranges

Each test in the CMP has a reference range, which is the range of values that the lab considers normal. These ranges are based on the results of many healthy people and are used to compare your results. If your results fall within the reference range, they are considered normal. If they are higher or lower than the reference range, they are considered abnormal.

Here are the typical reference ranges for the tests included in a CMP:

• Glucose: 70-100 mg/dL
• Calcium: 8.6-10.2 mg/dL
• Albumin: 3.5-5.0 g/dL
• Total Protein: 6.3-7.9 g/dL
• Sodium: 135-145 mmol/L
• Potassium: 3.5-5.0 mmol/L
• CO2 (carbon dioxide): 23-29 mmol/L
• Chloride: 96-106 mmol/L
• BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen): 7-20 mg/dL
• Creatinine: 0.8-1.3 mg/dL
• ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase): 44-147 IU/L
• ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase): 7-55 IU/L
• AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase): 8-48 IU/L
• Bilirubin: 0.1-1.2 mg/dL

High and Low Results

If your results are higher or lower than the reference range, it could indicate a problem. For example, high glucose levels could indicate diabetes, while low glucose levels could indicate hypoglycemia. High levels of liver enzymes (ALP, ALT, AST) could indicate liver disease, while low levels could indicate malnutrition or a low level of physical activity.

However, it's important to remember that many factors can affect your CMP results, including your diet, hydration status, medications, and even the time of day the test was done. Therefore, one abnormal result may not necessarily indicate a problem. Your doctor will consider your overall health, medical history, and any symptoms you may have in addition to your CMP results.

Conclusion

Understanding the reference ranges for a CMP and what it means if your results are high or low is an important step in taking control of your health. However, it's just one piece of the puzzle. In the next unit, we will explore how to interpret these results from a functional medicine perspective, which considers the whole person and not just the test results.