High blood sedimentation (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) does not necessarily indicate rheumatic disease. Blood sedimentation may be elevated in patients with rheumatic disease, but blood sedimentation is only a test indicator and cannot be used as a direct basis for confirming a diagnosis of rheumatic disease. When the body has abnormalities such as infectious diseases and non-infectious inflammatory lesions, such as myocardial infarction, hypercholesterolaemia, surgical trauma, acute bacterial inflammation, etc., the blood sedimentation may be elevated and is not necessarily due to rheumatism. Some tumours can also cause an increase in blood sedimentation.