How Rheumatoid Arthritis Can Affect the Kidneys
Overall, inflammation is said to lead to kidney dysfunction
“We think it’s the overall inflammatory burden of the disease that contributes to kidney dysfunction,” says Dr. Matteson. “Just like you have increased heart disease risk because of how the inflammation affects your blood vessels, the same is true for the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys.” Matteson also adds that the higher the degree of severity of a patient’s rheumatoid arthritis, the higher the risk of decreased kidney function.