Inflammation is your body's response to injury, infection, or stress. A little is healthy and protective; too much, for too long, is linked to many chronic diseases. Two blood tests — CRP and ESR — help doctors detect and track it.
CRP (C-Reactive Protein)
CRP is made by the liver and rises quickly — within hours — when there's significant inflammation, then falls quickly once it resolves. That speed makes it useful for spotting acute infections and monitoring how a condition responds to treatment.
hs-CRP and Heart Risk
A more sensitive version, high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), detects the low-grade inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease. Combined with cholesterol, it helps refine your heart-risk estimate.
ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)
ESR measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a tube — faster settling indicates more inflammation. ESR rises and falls more slowly than CRP, so the two are often ordered together: CRP for the immediate picture, ESR for the slower trend.
What High Levels Mean
Elevated CRP or ESR signals that inflammation is present, but not where or why. Causes range from infections and autoimmune conditions (like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus) to injury and, occasionally, more serious disease. These markers are clues, not diagnoses, and must be interpreted with your symptoms.
When to Follow Up
Persistently high markers, especially with fever, joint pain, weight loss, or fatigue, deserve medical evaluation to find the underlying cause.
Interpret Your Inflammation Markers
Upload your report to Lab Lens to understand what your CRP and ESR results mean in plain language.