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It’s highly recommended that you see your primary healthcare provider at least once a year, even if you have no ongoing medical problems and feel well. It’s important for health maintenance and prevention. Also, if any problems are brewing, early detection is key to good outcomes.
Your provider may order blood tests which, as a group, provide a lot of information about the function of various body systems, including the early signs that something is going wrong. They can even show side-effects to medications. This group of tests is called a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP). Here’s what to know about this battery of tests and how it can protect your future health.
What does the CMP check?
A CMP can measure or monitor how well your liver or kidneys are working, your blood sugar levels, your fluid and electrolyte balance, and your body’s response to treatments. Here’s what can be included:
Electrolytes
These have numerous roles in the body. They maintain the body’s pH (acid-base) and fluid balances, as well as control muscle and nerve function. The electrolytes measured include sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, and chloride. Sodium and potassium come from the food you eat, and the kidneys help regulate them. Bicarbonate measures the amount of carbon dioxide in your blood, which is a waste product from tissue metabolism. It is expelled from the lungs when you breathe out. Chloride functions with the other electrolytes in many body processes.
The most common causes of electrolyte imbalances include taking certain medications, severe vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration, drinking excessive water, heavy sweating, and heart, lung, or kidney disease.
Kidney function tests
BUN (blood urea nitrogen) is a measurement of a waste product which your kidneys eliminate from the blood. Creatinine is a waste product of muscle metabolism that is removed from the body by the kidneys.
The most common causes of high BUN and creatinine levels are dehydration, chronic kidney disease, kidney injury, heart failure, bleeding in the digestive tract, and certain medications.
Liver function tests
These check how well your liver is working. Albumin is a protein made by the liver. It transports substances through the bloodstream and prevents your blood vessels from leaking. Total protein is the sum of albumin and other proteins in the blood, called globulins. Bilirubin is a waste product of the breakdown of red blood cells. Liver enzymes (ALP, ALT, ASP) are proteins that mediate many processes in the body.
Liver damage from alcohol, fatty liver disease, and hepatitis are common causes of abnormal liver function tests. Certain medications, generalized inflammation, and bile flow blocked by gallstones can also cause abnormal liver function tests.
Glucose
This is your blood sugar. Diabetes is the most common cause of elevated glucose.
Calcium
This is one of the most important and common minerals in the body. Calcium is stored in bones, but it’s needed in the bloodstream as well. It’s vital to the function of the heart, muscles, and nerves.
However, some cancers can elevate blood calcium. Some cases are caused by genetic factors. Prolonged immobilization, dehydration, some medications, and excessive vitamin D or A are also some of the more common causes of abnormal blood calcium levels.
When your CMP results are available, your healthcare provider will share them with you.
You may also see them in your electronic medical records online. If any results are flagged as abnormal, discuss them with your provider. Please don’t try to diagnose yourself or make decisions based on the results. Discuss them with a professional.
