Question
What are the implications of having a high SED rate? Or is it necessary to treat a high SED rate and if so, can you tell me what kind of damage it does and to what please? Thanks very much!
Answer
A sedimentation rate (sed rate, ESR) is a very old test that is an indicator of inflammation. It is done by measuring how fast red blood cells fall in a column of blood. It can be elevated when rheumatic conditions (such as vasculitis, RA) are active, but it can also be elevated in chronic infections and in some malignancies. In some patients, the sed rate is a good indicator of how active the disease is, in others, it is not a good indicator. Like all tests, the result needs to be assessed together with other clinical clues. Thus the sed rate itself does not need to be treated.
