Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate

Also written as: ESR, Sed rate

An older, slower-moving indicator of inflammation.

What it measures

How quickly red blood cells settle in a tube over one hour. Inflammation makes cells clump and settle faster.

Why a doctor orders it

A long-established non-specific inflammation marker. It rises and falls more slowly than CRP, so the two are sometimes ordered together to see both the immediate and the sustained picture.

What is generally associated with a higher result

Broadly associated with inflammation, infection, anemia, pregnancy, older age, kidney disease, and some conditions affecting blood proteins.

What is generally associated with a lower result

Low values are generally not pursued.

Everyday things that move this number

Not every shift in a value reflects disease. These are ordinary factors known to affect this particular measurement:

Age, which raises it independently
Sex
Anemia
Pregnancy

Questions to take to your appointment

How does this read alongside my CRP?

Build a printable questionnaire with your own results →

Where to read more

MedlinePlus, from the US National Library of Medicine, publishes patient-facing pages on individual lab tests and is a reliable next stop: medlineplus.gov/lab-tests .

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