Using the common age-adjusted ESR formula for men, what is the estimated erythrocyte sedimentation rate for a 64-year-old man?

Using the common age-adjusted ESR formula for men, what is the estimated erythrocyte sedimentation rate for a 64-year-old man?

• A. 16
• B. 32
• C. 64
• D. 8

Answer: (B)

The pattern being tested is that there is an age-adjusted normal upper limit for ESR in men, roughly equal to age divided by two. For a 64-year-old man, that gives 64 ÷ 2 = 32 mm/hr. So the estimated ESR is about 32 mm/hr. This reflects how ESR tends to rise with age, and using age/2 provides a simple rule to estimate the upper normal value in men. The other numbers don’t fit this rule: 16 would be age/4, 64 would be age, and 8 would be age/8, none of which align with the standard age-adjusted expectation.

The pattern being tested is that there is an age-adjusted normal upper limit for ESR in men, roughly equal to age divided by two. For a 64-year-old man, that gives 64 ÷ 2 = 32 mm/hr. So the estimated ESR is about 32 mm/hr. This reflects how ESR tends to rise with age, and using age/2 provides a simple rule to estimate the upper normal value in men. The other numbers don’t fit this rule: 16 would be age/4, 64 would be age, and 8 would be age/8, none of which align with the standard age-adjusted expectation.