Chemicals in food containers, medical equipment behind spike in heart disease deaths: Lancet

A groundbreaking study from NYU Langone Health has uncovered alarming connections between common plastic chemicals called phthalates and increased heart disease mortality worldwide. Researchers found that exposure to these chemicals, particularly di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), contributed to over 356,000 deaths among adults aged 55-64 in 2018. The study highlights significant health risks from everyday plastic items like food containers and medical equipment, with regions like the Middle East and Asia experiencing the most substantial impact. Scientists are now calling for urgent global regulations to reduce chemical exposure and protect public health.

"These chemicals present a tremendous danger to human health" - Sara Hyman, NYU Researcher

Chemicals in food containers, medical equipment behind spike in heart disease deaths: Lancet

Daily exposure to certain chemicals used in plastic items like food containers or medical equipment could be linked to an increase in deaths due to heart disease worldwide, according to a study published in the journal Lancet eBiomedicine on Tuesday.

Key Points

1 Phthalates linked to 356,238 global heart disease deaths in 2018

2 Chemicals found in everyday plastics pose significant health risks

3 Middle East and Asian regions most severely impacted

4 Urgent need for global chemical regulations

 

Researchers at New York University Langone Health said that the chemicals, called phthalates, are in widespread use globally.

Phthalates found in cosmetics, detergents, solvents, plastic pipes, and bug repellants have for decades been linked with an increased risk of conditions ranging from obesity and diabetes to fertility issues and cancer.

The new study focused on a kind of phthalate called di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which is used to make food containers, medical equipment, and other plastic softer and more flexible.

Previous studies linked their exposure with an overactive immune response (inflammation) in the heart’s arteries, which can potentially lead to heart attack or stroke.

However, the new analysis estimated that DEHP exposure contributed to 356,238 deaths, or more than 13 per cent of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64.

“By highlighting the connection between phthalates and a leading cause of death across the world, our findings add to the vast body of evidence that these chemicals present a tremendous danger to human health,” said lead author Sara Hyman, an associate research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

For the research, the team used health and environmental data from dozens of population surveys to estimate DEHP exposure across 200 countries and territories. The information included urine samples containing chemical breakdown products left by the plastic additive.

The Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific bore a much larger share of the death toll than others -- about three-fourths of the total.

It is because these countries face higher rates of exposure to the chemicals, possibly because they are undergoing a boom in plastic production but with fewer manufacturing restrictions than other regions, the researchers explained.

“Our results underscore the urgent need for global regulations to reduce exposure to these toxins, especially in areas most affected by rapid industrialisation and plastic consumption,” said Leonardo Trasande, from NYU Grossman.

Trasande stated that the overall death toll from heart disease connected to these chemicals is likely much higher.

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