Esr
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate — how fast red cells settle in a tube. A non-specific marker of inflammation.
Typical reference range
| Range | Unit |
|---|---|
| 0–15 (male) | mm/h |
| 0–20 (female) | mm/h |
What Esr measures
ESR, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, measures how quickly red blood cells settle to the bottom of a thin tube over the course of an hour. When inflammation is present, certain proteins in the blood make red cells clump and settle faster, which raises the rate.
ESR is a slow, nonspecific marker of inflammation. It rises and falls more gradually than CRP, so the two are often measured together to give a fuller picture over time. A result can tell you that inflammation may be present in the body, but not where it is coming from or why. Age and sex also affect what counts as a normal value, so results are read in context. Any interpretation is best discussed with a clinician.
What a high Esr can mean
A high ESR can suggest that inflammation, infection, or tissue injury is present somewhere in the body. Because red cells settle faster when inflammatory proteins are elevated, the rate goes up when those processes are active.
Clinicians use ESR to help monitor certain chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions over time, and it can be markedly raised in some specific conditions. On its own, though, it is nonspecific and does not point to a particular cause.
- Factors such as anemia, pregnancy, and increasing age can raise ESR without a new illness.
- It is often read alongside CRP, which responds more quickly, and interpreted with symptoms and history.
A high ESR is best seen as a prompt to look further in context, not a diagnosis. What it means for you is a question for your clinician.
What a low Esr can mean
A low ESR is generally not a concern and usually needs no action. The clinical interest in this test is almost always in high values, which may signal inflammation; low values rarely carry the same weight.
Certain blood conditions, including some that affect red cell shape or count, can lower the sedimentation rate. In most cases, a low result simply reflects that inflammatory proteins are not elevated, which is unremarkable on its own.
- ESR is nonspecific, so a single value is best understood alongside your symptoms, history, and other results.
- Age, sex, and other everyday factors influence what is typical for you.
If you have questions about a low ESR or how it fits with your other markers, a clinician can interpret it in the full context of your health.
Track your Esr over time in Quanome — it reads your lab reports (PDF or photo) on your device, charts each marker against its range, and an AI coach explains what your trends mean alongside your Apple Health and DNA.