According to Science Alert, plastic is pervasive everywhere, with small particles found in many vital organs of the human body.
As microplastics can easily infiltrate body tissues, it is essential to understand the risks they may pose to health.
Microplastics Found in Atherosclerotic Plaques
Researchers have been actively studying the impact of microplastics on organ simulation models and on mice to understand how they may affect the human body. However, the concentrations of microplastics used in these studies may not accurately reflect real-world human exposure, and there is still a limited number of studies involving humans.
In March, a small study in Italy discovered microplastic particles in atherosclerotic plaques surgically removed from patients undergoing open procedures for blocked arteries. The study also tracked their health outcomes nearly three years afterward.
Microplastic particles easily infiltrate body tissues – (Photo: Reuters).
The procedure to remove plaques from narrowed arteries, known as carotid endarterectomy, helps reduce the risk of future strokes.
The research team led by Raffaele Marfella, a medical researcher at the University of Campania in Naples, Italy, questioned whether the risk of stroke, heart attack, or death differed between patients with microplastics in their plaques and those without.
Tracking 257 patients over 34 months, the researchers found that nearly 60% of patients had measurable amounts of polyethylene plastic in the removed plaques, and 12% of patients also had polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in the extracted fatty plaques.
PVC, in both rigid and flexible forms, is used to produce pipes, plastic bottles, flooring, and packaging. Polyethylene is the most widely produced plastic, used for plastic bags, cling film, and bottles.
Given that microplastics have previously been detected in human blood, the researchers’ concerns regarding cardiovascular health are warranted.
Multiple Health Hazards
Laboratory studies have shown that microplastics can cause inflammation and oxidative stress in heart cells, impairing heart function, altering heart rhythms, and causing scarring in the hearts of animals such as mice.
“Observational data from studies on occupational exposure also indicate a higher risk of cardiovascular disease among those exposed to plastic-related pollution, including polyvinyl chloride, compared to the general population,” Marfella and colleagues wrote.
In the study, patients with microplastics in their removed atherosclerotic plaques had a 4.5 times higher risk of non-fatal stroke, heart attack, or death from any cause after 34 months compared to those without detectable microplastics in their removed plaques.
The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
However, it is important to note that an observational study like this cannot definitively conclude that microplastics cause negative effects on the heart, but rather indicates a correlation. This study also did not account for other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking, physical inactivity, and air pollution.
