The ESR blood test measures the rate at which red blood cells sink to the bottom of a test tube, indicating the presence of inflammation in the body. A high ESR value suggests inflammation, infection, autoimmune disease, or hematologic malignancies, while a low ESR value may indicate diseases that cause structural abnormalities of red blood cells. The test is nonspecific but can help guide diagnosis when interpreted alongside other symptoms and laboratory findings.
The ESR blood test is a commonly performed hematological test that is mainly used to assess the presence of inflammation in the body. The test results are often referred to as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or simply as the sedimentation rate. Although the test results are often nonspecific, they can help guide doctors or other health care professionals toward a correct diagnosis, especially if they interpret the results in the context of other symptoms and laboratory findings.
To perform the ESR blood test, a sample of a patient’s blood is taken. As soon as possible after blood collection, a blood sample is placed in a special tube and allowed to settle. Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are denser than other blood components and tend to sink to the bottom of the tube over time. A sedimentation rate represents the rate at which red blood cells fall. This test was designed and tested by a Polish doctor named Edmund Biernacki, hence it is also called the Biernacki reaction.
Measuring the rate at which red blood cells sink to the bottom of a test tube offers important information about the processes going on in the body. Conditions where there is a lot of inflammation present in the body causes a buildup of proteins and other molecules on the surface of red blood cells. As a result, the red blood cells aggregate and acquire a higher effective density, increasing the rate at which they sink out of solution. In a completely healthy person, blood testing of erythrocyte sedimentation rate should give results of 1-2 millimeters/hour.
Obtaining a high ESR value in a patient suggests the presence of inflammation, infection, autoimmune disease, or hematologic malignancies. Although laboratories vary in what they consider an elevated ESR, generally a value greater than 10mm/hour in men or 15mm/hour in women is considered abnormal. Specific conditions known to have a strong association with elevated ESR include temporal arteritis, endocarditis, malignant melanoma, anemia, and pelvic inflammatory disease.
Having a blood test of reduced erythrocyte sedimentation rate can also suggest the presence of certain diseases. This finding is most commonly associated with diseases that cause structural abnormalities of red blood cells. Patients with sickle cell disease, for example, have abnormal hemoglobin that can cause red blood cells to take on a sickle shape. These patients tend to have a low ESR. Other conditions, including spherocytosis, microcytosis, and congestive heart failure, are also associated with low sedimentation rates.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
