MWe are increasingly finding out that microplastics and nanoplastics, small pieces of plastic scattered in the environment, can enter the body, and we are learning more about where they end up and how they affect people’s health. Questions have arisen. In a new study, researchers say they have for the first time detected the presence of these plastic fragments within fatty plaques that accumulate in blood vessels and are associated with an increased incidence of heart disease.

People with these plastic pieces in their plaques experience more serious complications, including heart attacks, strokes and death, compared to people with plaques without plastic, according to a study published Wednesday in The New Englander. The researchers found that the risk was 4.5 times higher. Medical journal.

Specifically, over a period of about three years, 30 out of 150, or 20%, of patients who had plastic detected in their plaque experienced complications, compared with 8 out of 107 who did not. So 7.5% experienced complications. Plastic has been identified.

The types of plastics they discovered are commonly used in everyday life, such as polyethylene used in plastic bags and bottles, and polyvinyl chloride used in pipes, insulation, and medical equipment.

The authors said that although the study did not conclusively prove that plastic debris causes the risk of problems, it did find an important link between microplastics and cardiovascular complications, and future research should be carried out. He warned that this should be investigated in research.

The paper comes as research focuses more on microplastics, which are found throughout the environment, from food and water sources to the atmosphere. The problem is expected to worsen with climate change, as rising temperatures accelerate the breakdown of plastic products. Previous studies have found that microplastics are harmful to mice, and microplastics have also been detected in various parts of the human body, including the placenta, liver, and lungs; There are few studies showing how much it affects health.

“There is already a growing recognition that microplastics are everywhere, in every geographic location,” said study author Sanjay, director of cardiovascular medicine at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Mr. Rajagopalan said. “What we don’t know is whether they have significant health effects and whether we really need to worry.” What are the long-term effects? ”

The study involved about 300 people in Italy who underwent carotid endarterectomy, a type of surgery that removes fatty plaque buildup in blood vessels. As these plaques build up over time, they can clog blood vessels and cause heart attacks and strokes.

The plaques removed during the surgery were frozen and analyzed by researchers. They used microscopy techniques and chemical analysis to find jagged pieces of plastic embedded in the plaque.

Previous studies had suggested that microplastics can increase inflammation, so researchers investigated inflammatory markers such as interleukin-18, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and TNF-α. They investigated and found that the amount of plastic debris in plaque correlated with the level of inflammation. These inflammatory markers.

Changcheng Zhou, a professor at the University of California, Riverside, who was not involved in the study, said the next steps in this research are to identify mechanisms that could explain how microplastics increase inflammation and cause heart problems. He said it might be something to understand. Zhou, who studies chemicals in plastic products, said one avenue to investigate is whether chemicals from the plastic are leaching into the plaque.

Although the study is far from proving that microplastics cause heart disease, “this is a much-needed analysis,” said Tim O’Toole, an associate professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, who was also not involved in the study. said.

“With global climate change, the problem of microplastic pollution will continue or get worse,” said Professor O’Toole, who studies the effects of pollutants on cardiac outcomes. “Rising temperatures will increase the breakdown of these pollutants, making them increasingly problematic in our water supplies and food chains.”