New research published in New England Medical Journal Suggests that there may be a strong link between microplastics and cardiovascular disease.

The study looked at 257 Italian patients with cardiovascular disease who underwent surgery to remove plaque in their arteries, and found that more than half of the patients tested had measurable amounts of microplastics in their bodies. and nanoplastics (MNP), specifically polyethylene and nanoplastics (MNP). PVC.

These people also saw a 4.5-fold increased risk of major cardiac events (including heart attack and stroke) over a three-year period.

While this finding is deeply concerning to researchers, researchers say that a direct correlation between microplastics in a person’s bloodstream and increased incidence of cardiovascular disease is still inconclusive. It warns that it has not been proven.

“Patients with carotid plaques with detected MNPs had a higher composite risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from any cause than patients without detected MNPs at 34 months of follow-up. ” concluded the study authors. .

Eric Topol, executive vice president at Scripps Research, responded to the study in a Substack blog post last week.

“This is a very worrying report and (of course) will require an independent reproduction,” Topol wrote. “There is overwhelming evidence that we ingest and inhale the massive and unchecked accumulation of plastics that are distributed systemically within our bodies through our blood circulation, making it the key to get ahead of this plastic epidemic.” It should spark a massive effort.”

Topol added:

New research takes concerns to a new level about micro-nanoplastics, which enter our arteries and worsen the atherosclerotic process, a leading cause of death worldwide, calling for urgent action. We sought.

Due to global plastic pollution, microplastics and nanoplastics are present everywhere on Earth, from the depths of the oceans to the highest mountain peaks. It has also been found in the atmosphere and in clouds.

Recycling is not an option to deal with microplastics, as research has demonstrated that chemicals can migrate from reusable plastics to the food they touch.

There are promising possibilities to replace plastic for storing everyday items, including the use of silk for such purposes. This is because the product and similar products are highly biodegradable. But experts say the world’s dependence on plastics won’t end anytime soon, and because plastics take hundreds of years to biodegrade, the problem of microplastics will continue to grow in the coming decades, if not longer. It is pointed out that it will remain for many years.