The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is the rate at which red blood cells in anticoagulated whole blood descend in a standardized tube over a period of one hour. It is a common hematology test, and is a non-specific measure of inflammation.

What does a high sedimentation rate mean?

A high sed rate is a sign you have a disease that causes inflammation in your body. Some conditions and medicines can affect the speed at which red blood cells fall, and they may affect your test results. These include: Anemia.

What is a bad sedimentation rate?

ESR levels higher than 100 mm/hr could suggest a serious disease, such as infection, heart disease, or cancer [58, 5, 3, 6]. ESR levels higher than normal may predict cancer or cancer progression, like metastasis [59, 60, 61, 62, 63].