Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
Understanding Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
What is Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate?
An erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) lab test indicates the presence of an inflammation but does not locate the cause. Any inflammation in the body could be a sign of chronic disease, an immune disorder, or other medical conditions. It also helps to determine whether you have an active disease or not.
The normal ESR values for men and women below the age of 50 years are <15mm/hour and <20mm/hour, respectively. The level >100mm/hour is considered serious. There are multiple causes of a high ESR such as advanced age, kidney disease, autoimmune disease, and certain types of cancers. An abnormally high ESR could also indicate the presence of cancerous tumors, especially if no inflammation is found.
Interpreting Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate results
Interpretations
The normal reference range for Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) is:
|
Men |
0-15 millimetres per hour (mm/hr), or 0-20 mm/hr for men older than 50 |
|
Women |
0-20 mm/hr, or 0-30 mm/hr for women older than 50 |
|
Children |
0-10 mm/hr |
|
Newborns |
0-2 mm/hr |
High ESR can be seen in:
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Inflammatory disease such as Arthritis (Inflammation of joints), vasculitis (Inflammation of blood vessels)
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Infection, such as pneumonia, pelvic inflammatory disease, appendicitis, skin infection, bone infection, heart valve infection
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Autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis
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Chronic kidney disease
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Viral infections
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Pregnancy
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Cancer, such as lymphoma or multiple myeloma
Low ESR can be seen in:
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Congestive heart failure
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Polycythemia
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Sickle cell disease
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Severe liver disease
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Hypofibrinogenemia
Other tests
