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ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) Test
✅ Up to date🔬 Evidence: LimitedInternal Medicine
Diğer adları: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ESR, Sedimentation rate
⚠️
Discuss your test results with your doctor. This page is for informational purposes only and does not provide a diagnosis.
⚡ Key Facts
• Measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a tube over one hour
• A non-specific marker of inflammation — rises in many conditions
• Normal values increase with age
• Less specific than CRP but useful for monitoring chronic conditions
🧪 What Does This Test Measure?
The ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a tube over one hour, serving as a non-specific marker of inflammation.
📋 Why Is It Ordered?
Ordered for inflammation evaluation, autoimmune disease diagnosis and monitoring, and investigation of unexplained symptoms.
🔧 Preparation
No special preparation is generally required. Fasting is not mandatory.
📊 Reference Ranges
Approximate reference ranges (Westergren method):
Men: 0–15 mm/hr (under 50), 0–20 mm/hr (over 50)
Women: 0–20 mm/hr (under 50), 0–30 mm/hr (over 50)
⚠️ Ranges vary with age and laboratory.
⬆️ High Values
Elevated ESR may be associated with infection, autoimmune diseases, malignancy, and chronic inflammatory conditions.
⬇️ Low Values
Low ESR is generally not clinically significant. Polycythemia, sickle cell disease, and certain protein disorders may lower ESR.
⚙️ What Can Affect Results?
Age, sex, anemia, pregnancy, medications, obesity, and protein levels may affect ESR results.
🔬 Evidence Summary
Limited evidence: 4 reviews and 1 observational study.
✅ Key Takeaways
💡
What you learned: ESR is a non-specific inflammation marker. It is most useful for monitoring known inflammatory conditions rather than diagnosis.
⛔
An ESR result alone cannot diagnose any specific condition. Clinical context and additional tests are needed.
🔬 Sources Used on This Page
5 sources · Most recent publication: 2016📖
Review
Comprehensive topic evaluation
4
sources
👁
Observational
Observational and cohort studies
1
source
Overall assessment: Evidence level for this topic is limited. This page is supported by 4 reviews, 1 observational study.
📝 Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Be prepared for your appointment. Add questions to your list.
Last reviewed: 4/2/2026
Next review: 7/2/2026
⚖️ Comparisons
🔗 Related Topics
🧪 CRP (C-reaktif protein — akut enflamasyon belirteci)🧪 Hemogram (tam kan sayımı)🧪 Ferritin (demir depoları ve akut faz proteini)🧪 Kreatinin (böbrek fonksiyonu)🧪 ALT ve AST (karaciğer enzimleri)
⚖️ This page does not replace medical advice. Make treatment decisions with your doctor.
Content is based on scientific studies indexed in PubMed and current clinical guidelines.
Content is based on scientific studies indexed in PubMed and current clinical guidelines.