How can rheumatoid arthritis affect blood vessels and organs outside the joints?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that extends beyond the joints, affecting various organs and tissues through widespread inflammation.123

Vascular and Organ Involvement

• Blood Vessels: The disease can cause vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessel walls. This may manifest as tiny areas of necrosis in the fingertips, chronic leg ulcers, and lesions in the peripheral nerves.231
• Heart and Lungs: Inflammation can affect the pericardium (the membrane enclosing the heart) and the lungs, including the formation of nodules in the lung tissue and the pleura.12
• Eyes: Ocular complications include scleritis—inflammation of the sclera—which can cause intense pain, as well as inflammation of the cornea and dry eye.14
• Systemic Effects: Patients often experience anemia, fatigue, and enlargement of the lymph nodes. In some cases, it is associated with Sjögren syndrome or Felty syndrome, the latter of which involves an enlarged spleen and a reduction in circulating blood cells.12

Subcutaneous nodules may also develop, typically near bony prominences like the elbow.23