Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: the normal range in the elderly.

A study was made of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in 258 normal nonhospitalized elderly subjects (189 women and 69 men). Their ages ranged from 70 to 89 years. Those who had been followed for at least one year showed a mean ESR of 13 mm/hr, with a range of 3-65 mm. A subgroup of 55 (47 women and 6 men) who had been followed for periods of 3 to 11 years showed a mean ESR of 14 mm/hr, with a range of 3-69 mm. The findings indicate that an ESR above the accepted normal range may be consistent with continued good health in the elderly. Thus the ESR determination may be of very limited diagnostic value in this age group.