Description
Sed rate, or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), is a blood test that can reveal inflammatory activity in your body. A sed rate test isn`t a stand-alone diagnostic tool, but it can help your doctor diagnose or monitor the progress of an inflammatory disease.
When your blood is placed in a tall, thin tube, red blood cells (erythrocytes) gradually settle to the bottom. Inflammation can cause the cells to clump. Because these clumps are denser than individual cells, they settle to the bottom more quickly.
The sed rate test measures the distance red blood cells fall in a test tube in one hour. The farther the red blood cells have descended, the greater the inflammatory response of your immune system.
Sed Rate by Modified Westergren - Useful in differentiating inflammatory and neoplastic diseases and as an index of disease severity. CRP is also useful in monitoring inflammatory disease states.
Higher sedimentation rates are typically seen in older adults as inflammation becomes more common with age. However, if your ESR rates are outside of the average range for your age, we suggest getting additional tests to confirm inflammation and help pinpoint the cause.When inflammation and injuries occur, certain proteins are secreted. These proteins will bind to the membrane of the erythrocytes, causing them to increase in density and fall at a higher rate than average.
