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How can rheumatoid arthritis affect organs outside the joints?

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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic disease that involves inflammatory changes throughout the body's connective tissues, meaning its impact extends well beyond the joints.12

Outside of the joints, the disease can manifest in several ways:

Blood Vessels and Skin: Inflammation can affect blood vessels (vasculitis), leading to tiny areas of necrosis in the fingertips and the development of chronic leg ulcers.1
Lungs: Patients may experience inflammation and the formation of nodules in the lungs and the pleura (the tissue covering the lungs).1
Eyes: Ocular complications include scleritis—inflammation of the sclera that can cause intense pain—as well as inflammation of the cornea and dry eye.13
Heart: The disease may cause inflammation of the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart).1
Nerves and Blood: It can lead to lesions in the peripheral nerves, anemia, and enlargement of the lymph nodes.1
Systemic Syndromes: It is also associated with Sjögren syndrome, a condition characterized by dryness in various parts of the body.1