Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
The ESR is a simple blood test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle to the bottom of a test tube.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test : £130
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) measures how quickly red blood cells settle over a fixed time. ESR increases when there is inflammation. This is why it’s a helpful test to assess inflammatory conditions. ESR is non-specific, so the results cannot be interpreted without a clinical context.
What is Included In the ESR Test?
- A Blood test
- 10-minute appointment
- No GP referral required
- Results sent electronically within 7 working days.
Please note: We only scan patients over the age of 18 years. For multiple pregnancies, there is an additional charge of £25
What is an Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Blood Test?
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) measures how quickly red blood cells settle to the bottom of a tube over one hour. When you struggle with inflammation, certain proteins in the blood increase and make red cells clump together and sink faster. A faster settling rate suggests inflammatory activity somewhere in the body.
ESR is reported as millimetres per hour (mm/hr).
Why might someone have an ESR blood test?
ESR is used as an assessment tool for chronic or persistent inflammation. It is commonly ordered when symptoms suggest an inflammatory or autoimmune condition, such as:
- Prolonged fever.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Muscle or joint pain.
- Morning stiffness.
- Headaches with scalp tenderness.
- Visual symptoms.
It can support the diagnosis and monitoring of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, temporal arteritis, lupus, and some long-standing infections. ESR is also used to monitor disease activity over time.
ESR and CRP are usually ordered together. CRP responds quickly to change, whereas ESR changes more slowly, which can be useful in long-term conditions.
What are the limitations of the ESR test?
Similar to CRP, ESR is non-specific and can rise for many reasons that are not due to active inflammation. It tends to increase naturally with age and may be higher in pregnancy. Anaemia can increase ESR because red cells settle differently. More conditions that can increase ESR are kidney disease, obesity, and some cancers.
Conversely, ESR can be falsely low in conditions such as polycythaemia (i.e., an elevated number of red blood cells). A normal ESR does not exclude disease. This is especially true in the cases of early disease, localised inflammation, and conditions where inflammation does not strongly affect the sedimentation rate.
Because of these limitations, ESR is interpreted with clinical findings and other tests.
How to prepare for the test?
No fasting is required. You can eat, drink, and take your medications as per usual. Good hydration before the appointment is advisable to make the blood draw easier. If you experienced a recent infection, flare of symptoms, or changed medications recently, it should be mentioned, as it can affect interpretation.
When will my results become available?
Your results are usually available within 7 working days. ESR is most useful when compared over time or interpreted alongside CRP and other investigations.
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