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- The first study of its kind reveals the presence of microplastics in human arterial plaque.
- Researchers have found that microplastics in arterial plaque are associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
- This study did not prove a causal relationship, and further research is needed to investigate this association.
Microplastics and nanoplastics (tiny pieces of plastic released into the environment) are found everywhere from the ocean to food to breast milk. Despite growing recognition that microplastics are an environmental hazard, the health effects of these particles are still poorly understood.
In what is now being hailed as a landmark study, researchers have identified microplastics in human arterial plaques and linked them to adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as heart attacks and strokes. revealed.
This study was published this month. New England Medical Journal.
“This is new field and definitely a wake-up call,” Dr. Rick Ferraro, a general cardiology fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine who was not involved in the study, told Healthline.
“This is a correlation and does not prove causation. That being said, just finding it is not enough. [microplastics] I’m quite worried about plaque. And it’s quite surprising that this is associated with subsequent cardiac outcomes,” he said.
“The main findings of this study were twofold. One was the identification of nanoplastics within atherosclerotic plaques. Second, patients with atherosclerotic plaques contaminated by nanoplastics Compared to patients without evidence of nanoplastics within their atheroma, they had higher rates of cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, stroke, or death. [plaque,]” Dr. Raffaele Marfera, Luigi Vanvitelli Professor of Medicine at the University of Campania in Italy and lead author of the study, told Healthline.
For the study, Marfera and his team examined arterial plaque samples from more than 250 patients who underwent plaque removal surgery known as carotid endarterectomy. They found the presence of polyethylene microplastics in almost 60% of patients, while polyvinyl chloride microplastics were found in about 12% of patients.
Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride are the two most commonly produced forms of plastic and are used in everything from bottles to construction materials.
For an average of 34 months after surgery, patients with microplastics in their arterial plaques are more likely to experience severe cardiovascular health conditions, including heart attack, stroke, and death, compared to patients without plastics in their arteries. 4.5 times more likely to
However, this study did not show a causal relationship. In other words, it has not been proven that the health damage is caused by microplastics or other causes.
“This study included patients who had carotid plaques significant enough to require surgery and were already at high risk. It is sobering and alarming to know how strong the disease was,” said Dr. Aaron Aday, chief of vascular medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Mr. Aday was not involved in this study.
that’s all
Microplastics, particles smaller than 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics, particles smaller than 1000 nanometers, are found almost everywhere, even in the most unlikely places. A 2022 study found that there is plastic in breast milk. In 2023, researchers discovered large amounts of microplastics at Cliff Cave in Missouri, which had been closed to the public for the past 30 years.
even small plastic particles
they are among us
The prominent presence of microplastics has led researchers to question their potential impact on human health.
“Microplastics and nanoplastics can enter the circulatory system and be detected in various organs, including the heart. In animal studies, [they] “It can cause harmful changes in the heart and blood vessels, but no large-scale human studies have been conducted to date,” Aday said.
Although the research published this month is provocative, there is still much work to be done to prove the impact of microplastics on heart health.
Experts contacted by Healthline stressed the need for large-scale studies before that can happen. Others also pointed to the need for better demographic and environmental data for participants.
“There are huge disparities when it comes to environmental exposures and the people who suffer the negative effects of environmental exposures. This study did not look at zip codes or who was affected and where,” Ferraro said.
“We would love to see this study repeated with more patients and in other parts of the world,” said Dr. Aday, noting that the study participants were primarily from the same location. He pointed out that they were from the same ethnic group. “We need to understand the cardiovascular risks of microplastics and nanoplastics in other regions and in other races and ethnicities.”
A groundbreaking new study reveals the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in human arterial plaque.
The presence of microplastics in plaque was associated with a 4.5-fold increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
Further research is needed to prove a causal relationship between the presence of microplastics and these cardiovascular disease outcomes.
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