It is also lowered in conditions where your body has lower protein levels - for example, in some liver or kidney diseases.Tests for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) are necessary to determine if you are suffering from this inflammatory, autoimmune disease. Those over 50 may benefit from a PMR test, especially if they are experiencing aching muscles and joints. Some conditions lower the ESR - for example, heart failure, polycythaemia and sickle-cell anaemia. Some cancers - for example, myeloma and Hodgkin's lymphoma.Various other muscular and connective tissue disorders - for example, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis or systemic lupus erythematosus.Certain infections (mainly bacterial infections).PV, however, is more sensitive and more specific than either ESR or CRP when monitoring the activity of rheumatoid arthritis.ĮSR, CRP and PV can be raised in many inflammatory conditions - for example: CRP is not affected by as many other factors as the PV or ESR, making it a better marker of some types of inflammation. Generally, PV and ESR do not change as rapidly as CRP does, either at the start of inflammation or as it goes away. Raised ESR, CRP and PV levels are all markers of inflammation. What conditions affect the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level? However, it is more difficult to perform and is not as widely used as ESR testing. The conditions which the ESR test monitors can also be monitored by the PV test. The CRP test measures the level of one specific protein, whereas the ESR takes account of many proteins. This means that the level of CRP increases when you have certain diseases which cause inflammation. This is sometimes called an acute phase protein. Also the level increases with increasing age. Levels of ESR are generally higher in females. So, a high ESR indicates that you have some inflammation, somewhere in the body. If certain proteins cover red cells, these will stick to each other and cause the red cells to fall more quickly. This is easy to measure as there will be a number of millimetres of clear liquid at the top of the red blood after one hour.

The rate is measured in millimetres per hour (mm/hr). The ESR measures the rate at which the red blood cells separate from the plasma and fall to the bottom of a test tube. The clear liquid plasma is left at the top. The red blood cells (erythrocytes) gradually fall to the bottom of the tube (as a sediment). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and plasma viscosity blood tests ESR blood test (erythrocyte sedimentation rate)Ī blood sample is taken and put in a tube that contains a chemical to stop the blood from clotting.

Lab test for blood viscosity