A new study has found that the presence of microplastics in artery-clogging plaque is associated with the risk of heart disease and even death.

Microplastics are everywhere, from remote areas of Antarctica and untouched sedimentary layers to human hearts and even newborn human babies. But while it’s probably not that big of a deal that microscopic fragments of chemical-laced fossil fuel polymers find their way into every conceivable nook and cranny of life, it’s no surprise that the measurable effects they have on the human body. The relevance of this had not yet been established.

Until now, yes. Published this week: new england journal medicineThis “groundbreaking” study, carried out by a team of Italian researchers, is the first to establish a link between the presence of microplastics in the human body and its impact on human health.

According to the study, this is the first time microplastics have been found in artery-clogging plaque.

“This is a groundbreaking trial,” said Robert Brook, a physician-scientist at Wayne State University who studies the relationship between cardiovascular disease and the environment. Nature. (Brook was not involved in the study.) “This will be a starting point for further research around the world to corroborate, extend and dig into the extent of the risks posed by microplastics and nanoplastics. ”

The study followed 257 participants from 2019 to 2020, all of whom had fatty plaque removed from their carotid arteries (i.e., blood vessels in the neck that carry blood between the head and heart). Polyethylene is the most widely used. According to the study, plastics used around the world were detected in “carotid artery plaques of 150 patients.”

“Electron microscopy revealed the presence of visible jagged-edged foreign particles between plaque macrophages and scattered among external debris,” the paper continues.

Scientists continued to follow patients for 34 months, and ultimately found that those with microplastics in their arteries almost 5 times You are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, and in the most severe cases, death.

“This is unusual,” said cardiologist Eric Topol, who was not involved in the study. USA Today of the survey results. “I have been a cardiologist for over 30 years, but I never imagined that microplastics existed in the arteries and that their presence could accelerate arteriosclerosis.”

To be clear, this study is still in the observational phase. Although a firm correlation between the presence of microplastics and cardiovascular emergencies or death has not been proven, some doctors believe that microplastic-induced inflammation (long-term inflammation is a major cause of cardiovascular disease). We believe that factors (considered to be a major factor) may play a role.

“This is the biggest blowout for plastics that we’ve ever seen,” Topol said. USA Today. “They basically connected the dots: the presence of plastic in the arteries, severe inflammation, and events like strokes, heart attacks, and death. They had it all.”

To that end, all researchers agree that the results of this study are more than sufficient to justify further research into the effects of microplastics on the human body, not to mention further addressing the relationship between humans and petroleum products. It seems like it is. It seems that the impact on the environment around us, and that on our bodies.

“We don’t know what other exposures contributed to the adverse patient outcomes in this study, but the discovery of microplastics and nanoplastics is important,” said Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and epidemiologist at Boston University. This was stated in an editorial that accompanied the announcement. The finding in plaque tissue is itself a breakthrough discovery that raises a series of pressing questions. ”

Learn more about microplastics: Scientists baffled after finding plastic fragments inside human hearts