Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Test

Many factors can contribute to elevated ESR levels including inflammation, infection, pregnancy, menstruation, anemia, age, and certain medical conditions. An elevated result does not necessarily indicate a specific medical condition. Additional clinical evaluation is often needed to understand the significance of a result.

In general, ESR values within the laboratory reference range are considered typical. Higher ESR results may be associated with inflammation from a variety of conditions, such as infections, autoimmune diseases, or other health concerns, while lower results often indicate less inflammatory activity. However, ESR values can be influenced by many factors and should be interpreted within the context of your overall health. Factors such as age, sex, pregnancy, and certain medications can also affect ESR levels. A high or low result does not necessarily mean you have a specific condition.

Your ESR value is best evaluated alongside your symptoms, medical history, and other laboratory tests. If your result falls outside the normal range, consider discussing it with your healthcare provider to determine what it may mean for your individual health.

Higher ESR results may be seen in autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis, and some forms of vasculitis. However, ESR is a nonspecific marker of inflammation and cannot diagnose any condition on its own. Healthcare providers use ESR together with symptoms, medical history, physical examination findings, and other laboratory tests when evaluating health concerns.

Your testing will be performed in a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory. Labcorp provides leading-edge medical laboratory tests and services through a national network of primary clinical laboratories and specialty testing laboratories. Our labs perform regular quality assurance testing to ensure our results are accurate.

Your results will be provided to you through our secure online portal to view or print. Results are also made available through a secure portal to the independent healthcare provider who placed your test order.  If you are accessing your results through your Labcorp Patient™ account, all users linked to the account will have access to all OnDemand test results. Results may also be provided to a local, state, and/or federal health authority; for example, many states require the testing laboratory and physician to report test results for certain communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, to local or state health departments.  

If you have questions or comments regarding the Labcorp Notice of Privacy Practices, or have a complaint about our use or disclosure of your PHI or our privacy practices, please contact: privacyofficer@labcorp.com, call us at (877) 234-4722 (877-23-HIPAA) and ask for the Labcorp HIPAA Privacy Officer, or send a written request to: HIPAA Privacy Officer, Labcorp, 531 South Spring Street, Burlington, NC 27215. You also may file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Visit the Labcorp OnDemand® website to browse and purchase laboratory tests and create your Labcorp Patient™ account to view your results. All Labcorp OnDemand testing requires an order from an authorized healthcare professional. For your convenience, Labcorp OnDemand has contracted with independent professional entities (collectively, Providers) to deliver healthcare provider services. Visit a Labcorp location for sample collection; or, if using an at-home collection kit, collect your sample yourself. We’ll let you know when your results are ready and can be accessed through your Labcorp Patient™ account.

To align with clinical best practices, we’ve set an age maximum of 100 for consumer-initiated testing. This limit was set to encourage individuals in more advanced age groups - who may have complex medical needs - to receive personalized guidance about testing from their healthcare providers.