Just for Lana back and unsure what they mean. Waiting to speak to my PCP next week. Can anyone give me some insight?
That should read just got labs back...
The ESR is a measure of inflammation in the body. It's "normal range" across a healthy population is 1-20 so yours is well within acceptable range. However, some people do not develop this "acute phase response" as it is called and their ESR never rises - no-one knows why. It also rises with a cold/flu, injury, even pregnancy, so it is very non-specific.
Rheumatoid factor is something that you are either positive or negative for - it is a measure of antibodies in your blood. You can be healthy and be positive or have an arthritis and have a negative result. Usually somewhere about 20 IU/ml is the cut off - below is low or negative, above is raised or positive.- but the result varies from lab to lab and they are all slightly different so without knowing what it says on your results (usually in brackets after the result) no-one can say.
Neither of them says anything on their own - they are part of the bigger picture of other results and clinical symptoms.
Thank you for your input. I am submitting the report... Report Result Ref. Range Units Status Lab
RHEUMATOID FACTOR, SERUM 19.1 LESS THAN 14 IU/mL High Final
I was tested 20+ years ago and was told I have RA, I was generally asymptomatic, with the exception of fatigue. I am so confused at this point!
As I said, some people can be "high" or positive and not be ill. It isn't true to say that a positive result means you have RA if it is on its own - the diagnosis for RA really requires a demonstration there is something else going on, symptoms and, above all, evidence of damage to the joints. Fatigue is a sign of a whole range of autoimmune disorders and a high rheumatoid factor may be found there - but it still doesn't pin it down to RA. RA can go into remission but it will still leave a raised RF and I don't think that RA is treated if it isn't there doing damage.
Ask your rheumatologist to explain - far better than asking a GP as they often assume that a positive RF means the patient has RA.
Thank you for your input. I am hoping it is RA in remission. I have been having more pain, but nthing dibilitating as yet, thank goodness! I do not want to take anymore medication than I already am. I am hoping to get a referral to a rhuematologist at my next appointment.