A 58 year old female has suffered from arthritis, with arthralgia and swelling of her hands, knees and feet that is aggravated by movement. Over the past decade she has noted increasing deformity of her hands and feet, making it difficult for her to walk and to perform simple daily activities such as buttoning a blouse or even combing her hair. She has no history of any trauma to account for her arthropathy. Radiographs show ankylosis of the carpals with residual evidence of MP joint erosion and decreased bone mass of the elbows. A blood examination shows an increased ESR. We are awaiting results of the serological tests ordered.
1. What is the significance of this patient having a raised ESR?
a. The patient has active inflammation
b. The patient is pregnant
c. The patient has sickle cell anaemia
d. The patient has congestive heart failure