Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder. Like other types of arthritis, it affects the joints, but it can also damage the eyes, skin, lungs, heart, and blood vessels. The autoimmune disorder can lead to painful swelling when the body begins to attack its own, otherwise healthy tissues. As with lupus, this can lead to a low white blood cell count. Additionally, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can leave patients vulnerable to infection.

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