How to read your medical test report: Basic metabolic panel

Here's what your basic metabolic panel test means.

Glucose, a type of sugar produced by the digestion of dietary carbohydrates, is body s primary source of energy. Electrolytes are minerals like sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate which help maintain body s fluid levels and acid-base balance and are essential for heart and brain function. Kidneys control water and mineral levels. The breakdown of proteins in the body produces urea as a waste product. Creatinine is a waste product produced by the muscles. Both urea and creatinine are filtered by the kidneys and excreted in the urine.

Basic metabolic panel what is it?

A few groups of tests may be routinely ordered to determine your general health status. Blood metabolic panel (BMP) is a group of blood tests that measures your blood glucose and electrolyte levels and your kidney function. The test provides important information about your body's metabolism, electrolyte and acid-base balance and kidney dysfunction. It usually contains seven tests and hence it is also termed as chem 7. Sometimes, an eighth test in BMP may include assessment of calcium levels in the blood. It may then be referred as chem 8. A comprehensive metabolic panel includes liver function tests too.

BMP evaluates the following:

• Glucose main source of body s energy
• Sodium - controls blood pressure and blood volume; important for muscle and nerve function
• Potassium - vital in regulating muscle activity, including that of the heart
• Chloride regulates body fluid and helps maintain the acid-base balance, role in nerve impulse transmission
• Carbon Dioxide (Bicarbonate) regulate blood pH and maintains acid-base balance
• Creatinine breakdown product in muscle and a blood marker to detect kidney disease
• Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) product of protein metabolism and a blood marker to detect kidney disease
• Calcium - vital role in the maintenance of strong and healthy bones, helps in muscle contraction and relaxation, blood clotting and early developmental growth

When is the test recommended?

BMP is recommended as part of a routine health examination to help evaluate your general health status. It is also advised during hospitalization and before surgery. It provides information about your blood glucose and calcium levels, electrolyte and acid-base balance and how well your kidneys are working. The test may also be suggested to follow-up a specific health condition and monitor its treatment.

Reading your BMP test report

Normal value ranges may vary among different labs. Abnormal or significant changes in the test results can indicate various medical conditions.

1. Blood glucose

Blood glucose levels are lowest in the morning before food consumption and rise for 1-2 hours after meals. Significant changes in blood glucose levels indicate abnormal digestion process. Blood glucose test helps screen the blood for undetected high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). A routine blood sugar is tested on your blood sample taken at any random time of the day with no preparation. Read more about how to read your medical test report: Blood glucose tests

Normal range: 80 to 110 mg/dL.

Shortly after eating: up to 140 mg/dL.

High: > 200 mg/dL (high levels with repeated tests may indicate diabetes)

2. Potassium

Normal range: 3.5 5.0 mEq/L

Increased levels (hyperkalemia) are seen in kidney failure and antihypertensive ACE inhibitor medication. Decreased levels (hypokalemia) could be a result of heavy sweating or persistent vomiting or diarrhea.

3. Sodium

Normal range: 136-145 mEq/L

Increased levels (hypernatremia) may be seen in dehydration, kidney disease or persistent diarrhea. Decreased levels (hyponatremia) may be a result of lack of sodium in the diet, poorly controlled diabetes, liver disease, or pneumonia. Sodium deficiency can lead to acid reflux, nervous problems, osteoporosis, arthritis, bacterial infections, memory loss, fatigue and even kidney stones. Here are 6 sodium rich foods that should be a must in your diet.

4. Chloride

Normal range: 95-105 mEq/L

Increased levels (hyperchloremia) may be due to certain kidney diseases, diarrhea or overactive parathyroid glands. Decreased levels (hypochloremia) may be a result of heavy sweating, vomiting and some types of kidney disease. To know more about how to read your medical test report: Kidney function test

5. Bicarbonate

Normal range: 22 26 mEq/L

The bicarbonate levels in the blood indicate metabolic problems. Lesser values mean metabolic acidosis, whereas higher values mean metabolic alkalosis.

6. Blood creatinine

Normal range: Males - 0.8 to 1.2mg/dL and Females - 0.6 to 0.9mg/dL

A higher level may indicate kidneys dysfunction. The blood creatinine level increases as the kidney disease progresses.

7. Blood urea nitrogen

Normal range: 7 to 20 mg/dL

Higher levels (greater than 20-40 mg/dL) may be indicative of altered kidney function. Elevated BUN values may also be seen in a high-protein diet, dehydration, severe burns, certain medications, etc.

8. Calcium

Normal range: 8.4 10.2 mEq/dl

Abnormal levels may be a sign of malnutrition, thyroid disease, kidney problems, bone disease, cancer, etc. Here are 7 symptoms of calcium deficiency.

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