What is a metabolic panel?
Updated October 18, 2026
A metabolic panel is a group of blood tests that shows how your body is handling sugar, salts, fluids, and how your kidneys and liver are doing. The basic panel (BMP) has 8 tests. The comprehensive panel (CMP) adds liver tests and proteins.
What is on it
| Test | What it shows | Common adult range* |
|---|---|---|
| Glucose | Blood sugar. | 70 to 99 mg/dL when fasting |
| BUN and creatinine | Waste products your kidneys filter out. | BUN about 7 to 20 mg/dL. Creatinine about 0.6 to 1.3 mg/dL |
| Sodium and potassium | Salts that keep nerves, muscles and the heart working. | Sodium about 135 to 145. Potassium about 3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L |
| Calcium | Used by bones, nerves and muscles. | About 8.5 to 10.5 mg/dL |
| ALT and AST (CMP only) | Enzymes that can rise when the liver is irritated. | Roughly up to 40 units per liter. Varies by lab |
*Common ranges only. Use the range printed on your report.
What a result can mean
A fasting glucose above the range is something doctors follow up, often with another test. A high creatinine can be a sign that the kidneys are working harder than usual, or that you were dehydrated. Sodium and potassium that are far outside the range matter, so they are often marked critical. Mildly raised liver enzymes are common and can come from medicines, alcohol, or a recent hard workout. These are general patterns only.
Questions to ask
- Was I fasting for this test, and does that change how you read it?
- Should we recheck anything in a few weeks?
- Could any of my medicines affect these numbers?
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