Researchers have found microplastics like PVC lodged in arterial plaques. Pictured, Felix Weber, research associate at the Institute of Environmental and Process Engineering at RhineMain University of Applied Sciences, sits in front of a picture of a 3D microscope with plastic particles.
- Atherosclerosis
— the buildup of plaque in the arteries — is considered to be the cause of
about 50% of all deaths in Western society.
- Researchers
from the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy have found the
presence of microplastics within arterial plaques.
- Scientists
reported that people with microplastics in their arterial plaque were 4.5
times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or die in about 34
months after their carotid endarterectomy surgery than those who did not
have plastics in their plaque.
Atherosclerosis is
a cardiovascular condition that occurs when the insides of the arteries of the
body become clogged with a buildup of cholesterol and
fats known as plaque.
Researchers estimate
that about 50% of all deaths in Western society are caused by
this condition.
People who have
atherosclerosis are at a higher risk for cardiovascular
diseases in general, such as coronary
artery disease. They also have an increased risk of developing other
conditions such as diabetes, kidney
disease, and obesity.
Now researchers from the
University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy have found another potential
issue with arterial plaques — the presence of microplastics within
them.
In a new study published in The New England
Journal of Medicine, scientists report that about 60% of study
participants who had received a carotid
endarterectomy had measurable amounts of polyethylene in
the plaques removed from their arteries.
As many as 12% also
had polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) in their plaques.
Researchers also
discovered that people with microplastics in their arterial plaque were 4.5
times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or die in about 34 months
after their surgery than those who did not have plastics in their plaque.
What are
microplastics?
Small pieces of
plastic less than 5 millimeters (mm) long are considered
microplastics.
“Microplastics are tiny
plastic particles that are either intentionally manufactured — like microbeads
and glitter — or formed from the breakdown of plastic products like clothing
and food packaging in the environment,” explained Rebecca
Fuoco, director of science communications at the Green Science Policy
Institute, who was not involved in this study.
“We can ingest them from food and water, inhale them
from the air, and absorb them through our skin,” she noted.
Past studies show humans
and animals can be exposed to microplastics through contaminated tap
and bottled water, fish, food
salts, and bee honey.
Researchers estimate
that Americans ingest between 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles
every year.
Previous research has
linked microplastics in the body to an increased risk of disrupted
hormones, impaired
immunity, and negative impact on the gut
microbiome.
Microplastics
and cardiovascular health
According to Dr. Raffaele Marfella, professor in the Department of
Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences at the University of Campania Luigi
Vanvitelli and lead author of the current study, many studies have observed the
presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in
human tissues, but to date, this is the first observation of an association
with cardiovascular disease.
“The interest comes from our background related to
the study of atherosclerosis,” Dr. Marfella told Medical News Today.
“Specifically, the increase in cardiovascular events in patients with no or few
risk factors led us to consider and search for other conditions that could
influence the progression of atherosclerosis and, thus, cardiovascular events.”
“In this context, we
think pollution, especially the enormous amount of plastic, contaminates our
planet,” he continued. “So we first wondered whether plastic, in the form of
micro- or nanoplastics, could also degrade our arteries and whether the
presence of such a biologically inert material could alter the health of our
vessels.”
Measurable
microplastics in 60% of studied plaques
For this study, Dr.
Marfella and his team recruited 304 people who had undergone a carotid
endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid
artery disease. Scientists examined the removed blood vessel plaque for the
presence of microplastics and nanoplastics.
Researchers found measurable amounts of polyethylene
in the plaques of about 60% of study participants. They also found PVC in the
plaques of 12% of participants.
Dr. Marfella told us
that:
“The
plastic presence in human atherosclerotic plaques is surprising. Unfortunately,
human tissue plastic contamination is not unique but widespread. It is
worrisome their likely effect on cardiovascular health.”
4.5 times higher heart attack, stroke, death risk
Scientists also
successfully followed 257 participants for up to 34 months. They found that the
study participants with microplastics found in their plaques were 4.5 times
more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or die in the 34 months following
their plaque removal surgeries, compared to those who did not have plastics in
their plaque.
Dr. Marfella said he and
his team were somewhat surprised by this finding, although in vitro and animal
studies have already demonstrated the harmful effects of plastic contamination.
“People must become aware of the risks we are taking
with our lifestyle,” he continued. “We could use less plastic and direct our
daily choices towards other materials. To date, it is challenging, if possible,
to avoid plastic contamination.”
“Our data will elicit an
awareness of the problem that will inevitably lead to more virtuous actions for
our environment,” Dr. Marfella added.
“I hope that the alarm
message from our study will raise the consciousness of citizens, especially
governments, to finally become aware of the importance of the health of our
planet. To put it in a slogan that can unite the need for health for humans and
the planet, plastic-free is healthy for the heart and the earth,” he suggested.
Better understanding of microplastics’ impact on
health needed
MNT also spoke with Dr.
Yu-Ming Ni, a board-certified cardiologist and lipidologist at MemorialCare
Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley,
CA, about this study.
Dr. Ni, who was not involved in the research,
commented that the findings were a “terrifying revelation.”
“We just make so much
plastic in our environment and to see it degrade and get to a microscopic level
and be unable to be further broken down — it’s everywhere,” he continued. “And
we’re only just starting to scratch the surface as to how that’s going to
affect our health certainly from a cardiovascular standpoint, but in general. I
don’t know what this means, but it’s certainly quite scary to think about it.”
“One of the questions I
wonder about from a cardiac standpoint is what microplastics and cholesterol
plaque do to the stability of that plaque because, after all, all it takes is a
disruption of cholesterol plaque to develop a heart attack,” Dr. Ni added.
“So if these microplastics make plaques more
vulnerable, we could see an increase in heart attacks in patients who have
microplastic exposure. So this is where the next step has to be — does it make
plaque more vulnerable? What [are] the physiologic effects [on] the blood
vessel walls themselves? And then most importantly, how can we address this?”
he wondered.
Fuoco, who also reviewed
this research for MNT, agreed it is critical to better understand the human
health impacts of microplastics because they are everywhere.
“We have reason to believe
they are harmful because of emerging human research like this study, as well as
a large body of evidence that they can cause reproductive, developmental, and
other harms in marine animals,” she explained.
“We need research,
innovation, and policy action to address the root of the problem, which is the
proliferation of plastics and petrochemicals. Many uses of the worst kinds of
plastics are non-essential or already replaceable with safer materials. For
others, we need to speed research into alternatives that aren’t made from
fossil fuels or loaded with petrochemicals,” said Fuoco.
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