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Doctors have warned of the potentially life-threatening effects of plastic pollution, finding that people whose blood vessels were contaminated with microscopic plastics had a significantly increased risk of stroke, heart attack and premature death.

Researchers in Naples examined fatty plaques removed from the blood vessels of patients with arterial disease and found that more than half had deposits contaminated with tiny particles of polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

People whose plaques contained microplastics or nanoplastics were almost five times more likely to have a stroke, heart attack, or die from any cause over the next 34 months than those whose plaques did not have plastic contamination. Ta.

The findings do not prove that plastic particles cause strokes or heart attacks, and while people who are more exposed to pollution may be at higher risk for other reasons, they do not prove that plastic particles cause strokes or heart attacks, but they do suggest that animals and humans Research suggests that plastic particles may be the culprit.

“We are vulnerable to plastic pollution, so if our data is confirmed, it will have a dramatic impact on cardiovascular health,” said study leader Luigi Vanvitelli of the University of Campania in Naples. said author Dr. Raffaele Malfera. “The only protection we currently have is prevention by reducing the amount of plastic we produce.”

Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous and spread across the globe that even if society succeeds in its large-scale mission of reducing plastic pollution, the health benefits of cleanup may not be seen for years. Maafela said.

Doctors began the study after noticing an increase in strokes and heart attacks in patients who are normally considered to be at low risk. Marfera and his colleagues suspected that plastic pollution might be involved in causing inflammation and damaging people’s blood vessels.

Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors describe how they analyzed fatty plaques taken from 304 patients with atherosclerosis, which affects the carotid arteries. The carotid artery is the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the neck, face, and brain. This disease causes plaque buildup in the arteries, greatly increasing the risk of stroke. Plaques can be removed by a procedure called carotid endarterectomy.

Laboratory examination of extracted plaques detected polyethylene in 150 patients and polyvinyl chloride in 31, along with signs of inflammation. When examined under an electron microscope, the researchers found jagged foreign bodies within the fat deposits, most of which were less than a thousandth of a millimeter in diameter.

Doctors followed 257 patients for an average of 34 months after removing carotid artery plaque. People who had plastic particles in their plaques were 4.5 times more likely to have a stroke, heart attack, or die from any cause than those without plastic contamination in their plaques.

Mr Maafela said the discovery of plastic in the plaque was “alarming” and the possible effects on cardiovascular health “alarming”. The study found that 20 to 30 percent of patients treated for common risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes still have a heart attack or stroke, something doctors call “residual cardiovascular risk.” He said this could explain the .

More research is needed to confirm whether plastic pollution plays a role in strokes and heart attacks, but Marfera called for increased awareness of the potential threat.

“People need to be aware of the risks of our lifestyles,” he said. “We hope that the warning message from our research will raise awareness among citizens, especially governments, to finally recognize the importance of planetary health. Translated into a slogan that connects needs: Plastic-free is healthy for the heart and the planet.”

Holly Shields, professor of integrative physiology at the University of Manchester, said the impact of micro- and nanoplastics on plaque formation and coronary heart disease needed further attention. “It appears that microplastics and nanoplastics, and the toxins they carry, may trigger events that lead to the development of atherosclerosis,” she said.

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