Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Immune system healthESR measures the speed at which red blood cells settle in a tube over one hour.
It is a broad indicator of inflammation.
Reference range
20
Normal
High
mm/h
Source: lab benchmark
Reference ranges may vary between labs and assays. Always interpret results with your healthcare provider.
Why this matters
Elevated ESR may suggest chronic inflammation, infection, autoimmune activity, or tissue injury. It is often evaluated alongside C-reactive protein to assess inflammatory disease.
How this connects to other biomarkers
- ESR is a non-specific inflammation marker that lags hs-CRP by days but persists longer; markedly elevated ESR (> 100 mm/h) suggests temporal arteritis (vasculitis of head arteries), polymyalgia rheumatica, multiple myeloma, or chronic infection.
- Elevated ESR with positive Immunofixation / Immunotyping and low Albumin/Globulin (A/G) Ratio raises concern for plasma cell disease (myeloma or related).
- ESR can be falsely high in pregnancy, anemia, and old age, and falsely low in polycythemia, sickle cell disease, and DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation).
Included in
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