Does a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel Include a Lipid Panel?
No, a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) does not include a lipid panel—these are separate laboratory tests that must be ordered independently. 1, 2
What Each Panel Contains
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
A CMP includes 14 components measuring kidney function, electrolytes, glucose, and liver function 1:
- Electrolytes: sodium, potassium, carbon dioxide, chloride
- Kidney function: blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine
- Glucose
- Liver function tests: aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin
- Proteins: albumin, total protein
- Calcium 1
Lipid Panel
A lipid panel is an entirely separate test that measures 1:
- Total cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein)
- HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein)
- Triglycerides
- Non-HDL cholesterol (calculated) 1
Clinical Implications
When both are needed, they must be ordered as separate tests. Multiple clinical guidelines explicitly distinguish between these panels 1:
- The American Gastroenterological Association recommends ordering both a CMP and a fasting lipid profile as part of basic laboratory evaluation for obesity assessment 1
- The American Diabetes Association guidelines specify obtaining a lipid profile separately from routine metabolic panels for cardiovascular risk assessment 1
- Multiple rheumatology guidelines reference CMP for metabolic monitoring but separately address lipid monitoring when clinically indicated 1
Common Clinical Pitfall
A frequent error is assuming that ordering a CMP provides lipid information—it does not. 2, 3 If you need both metabolic and lipid assessment (common in diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease evaluation), you must order both tests explicitly. The cost difference between a basic metabolic panel (BMP) and CMP is approximately $21, while a lipid panel represents an additional separate charge 3.