Major extracellular electrolyte
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About Chloride
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About Chloride
Overview and History
Chloride is an inorganic anion (Cl−) and a core electrolyte found mainly in extracellular fluid. Laboratory measurement is typically done on serum or plasma and reported in millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Biochemically, chloride moves with sodium and bicarbonate to maintain electrical neutrality and osmotic balance across membranes.
Clinically, chloride has long been used as a simple, broadly informative marker of fluid and acid–base balance. Its concentrations reflect interactions among intake, renal excretion, gastrointestinal losses, and shifts between body compartments, and therefore provide context for interpreting blood volume, kidney function, and metabolic state.
Interpreting Highs and Lows
Elevated chloride levels may be associated with relative water loss (concentration effects), certain patterns of kidney retention, high dietary or intravenous chloride exposure, or acid–base states that lower bicarbonate. Low chloride levels may be associated with volume loss (from sweating, vomiting, or diuretics), shifts of chloride into cells or stomach contents, or acid–base states that raise bicarbonate. Clinical interpretation depends on related measures—especially sodium, bicarbonate (or CO2), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and urine electrolytes—and should be assessed in the context of the full Cardio Zoomer profile.
Featured Test
Cardio Zoomer includes chloride to capture a basic but informative dimension of fluid, electrolyte, and acid–base balance. As part of an integrated panel, chloride helps clarify whether vascular or metabolic patterns reflect concentration effects, renal handling, or systemic shifts—and it complements markers of kidney function, inflammation, and vascular stress to support personalized risk assessment.
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Mary Beth Augustine
DCN, RDN, FAND- Lead Clinical Educator
Suzanne Barker
MS, RDN, LD, CTTS, CGP- Clinical Educator
Suzette Garcia
MSc- MHNE- Clinical Educator
Brooke Mader Ganev
MS, CNS, LDN, FDN- Clinical Educator
Adair Anderson
MS, RDN, LDN- Clinical Educator
Lillie Luu Nguyen
DCN, CNS, LDN- Clinical Educator
Jason Barker
ND- Clinical Educator
Emaline Brown
ND- Clinical Educator
Dana Filatova
DCN, CNS, LDN- Clinical Educator
Jessy Dhanjal
ND- Clinical Educator
Nour Amri
MS, LDN, CNS, CKNS- Clinical Educator
