ESR, CRP

ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) and CRP (C-Reactive Protein) are complementary inflammation markers used together for comprehensive inflammatory assessment. ESR measures the rate at which red blood cells settle in a tube over one hour — elevated values indicate inflammation, infection, or autoimmune activity. It is a non-specific but sensitive marker useful for screening tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, temporal arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and other chronic inflammatory conditions. CRP is an acute-phase protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation — it rises rapidly (within 6-12 hours) during acute infections and inflammation, making it more specific and faster-responding than ESR. CRP is valuable for differentiating bacterial from viral infections, monitoring treatment response in infections and autoimmune diseases, post-surgical complication detection, and cardiovascular risk assessment (hs-CRP). Together, ESR and CRP provide complementary information: ESR for chronic conditions and CRP for acute-phase response. No fasting is required. Results are typically available within 4-6 hours.