Elevated ESR, do I need to be concerned?

Dear Ask The Doctor: My ESR is elevated and Dr. has no answer to it. Is it ok to forget about it?

Dear Neetu: ESR is a non-specific marker of inflammation in the body. Normal ESR in mm/hr can be roughly calculated from the formula: [Age in years + 10 (if female)]/2, therefore your normal would be <20mm/hr, if you are approximately 30 years old. It is difficult to know what could have caused your ESR to increase. I would suggest that you repeat the ESR in a few months to appreciate the general trend in readings.