Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke Linked to Microplastics

Microplastic particles are linked to heart disease

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People with arterial plaque that contains microplastics are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those with plaque that does not contain plastic, suggesting that microplastics may contribute to heart disease.

Microplastics form when sunlight, water, and other substances erode plastic into pieces less than 5 millimeters long. At this size, particles can enter our bodies and blood through food, water, and even the air we breathe. However, little is known about their potential health effects.

So, Francesco Praticizzo Researchers at the Italian hospital IRCCS MultiMedica looked for evidence of microplastics in the arterial plaques of 257 adults. They all underwent surgery between August 2019 and August 2020 to remove plaque from the arteries that carry blood to the brain.

Chemical analysis detected plastic in the plaques of 150 of the participants. Using a microscope, the researchers were also able to see jagged particles within the plaque. This is visible evidence of microplastics. The researchers then monitored study participants until July 2023 and found that during this period, participants whose plaques contained microplastics had an increased risk of heart disease and death. On average, participants with plastic-free plaque were more than four times more likely to die or have a heart attack or stroke, suggesting that microplastics contribute to cardiovascular disease.

However, these findings do not prove that microplastics are the cause, only establish a link between microplastics and heart disease, Praticizzo said. He and his colleagues could not ignore the possibility that other confounding factors, such as diet or air pollution, may underlie this association. However, they found high levels of inflammatory molecules in the plastic-containing plaques. This could suggest that microplastics in the bloodstream worsen inflammation and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, he says.

“Plastic contains a variety of chemicals that we know can have negative health effects, so it’s no surprise that evidence of health effects is starting to mount,” he said. To tell. tracy woodruff at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Plastic production has been steadily increasing and is predicted to continue to increase, so we need to know how to increase production.” [and] “If any of these molecules affect our health,” Praticizzo says.