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COMPREHENSIVE METABOLIC PANEL (CMP)
Also printed as: TP · Serum total protein
Educational only — not medical advice.
Total protein adds up albumin plus all the other proteins in your blood, mostly globulins involved in immunity and transport. It is a broad measure rather than a specific one. What usually matters is which half of the total moved.
On its own, total protein rarely answers a question. Its value is in the albumin-to-globulin relationship, which points your doctor toward whether a change is about liver production, hydration, or immune activity.
TYPICAL ADULT RANGE
Many labs report roughly 6.0–8.3 g/dL for adults. Ranges vary by lab. Reported in g/dL.
Reference ranges vary by lab, by method, and by age and sex. Always read your own result against the range printed on your report.
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A slightly low total protein usually tracks a slightly low albumin, and the same everyday explanations apply — recent illness, generous hydration, pregnancy, or a stretch of lower protein intake. Digestive and liver conditions can also reduce it. It is a number your doctor will interpret next to albumin rather than alone.
The most common reason for a high total protein is dehydration at the draw, which concentrates every protein at once. A rise driven by the globulin fraction rather than albumin means something different, and that is exactly why clinicians look at the split. If your report shows a persistent elevation, your doctor may suggest a protein electrophoresis to see which proteins moved — a routine next step, not an alarming one.
Your doctor is the one who can read this number against your history, symptoms, and medications.
Educational only — not medical advice. Lab results only mean something alongside your history, symptoms, medications, and the rest of your panel. Bring questions to your doctor; they are the one who can interpret your results for you.
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