Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate

Low ESR

HP:0025022

What it means

A reduced erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The ESR is a test that measures the distance that erythrocytes have fallen after one hour in a vertical column of anticoagulated blood under the influence of gravity. The ESR is a nonspecific finding. A decreased ESR may be seen in polycythemia or in certain blood diseases in which red blood cells have an irregular or smaller shape that causes slower settling.

Rare diseases that can present with this2

Sometimes5–29%

1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Decreased ESR

Decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.