Research reveals for the first time a link between tiny nanoplastics in people’s arteries and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or death.
The landmark study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine and spearheaded by Dr Raffaele Marfella at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Naples, Italy, raises concerns about the association between internalised plastics and cardiovascular ailments.
The study was conducted among patients scheduled for carotid artery surgery due to plaque build-up, and samples were analysed from 257 individuals.
Remarkably, plastic particles, primarily nanoplastics, were found in the plaque of 150 patients.
Over an average follow-up period of 34 months post-surgery, those with detectable plastic particles faced a staggering five-fold higher risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event compared to their counterparts without such particles.
This was the case even after adjusting for various factors like age, sex and health conditions.
The revelation raises alarm bells about the pervasive presence of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment, with serious implications for human health.
Dr Martha Gulati from Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles underscores the potential inflammatory response triggered by these particles, a known precursor to cardiovascular events.
However, she emphasises the need for further research to confirm whether nanoplastics directly contribute to inflammation and subsequent heart disease.
Despite the compelling findings, the study’s observational nature limits its ability to establish causation definitively.
Ethical considerations prevent the initiation of randomised controlled trials to confirm the direct impact of nanoplastics on cardiovascular health.
Nevertheless, the study lays a crucial foundation for future investigations into this pressing issue.
Dr Gulati advocates for broader population studies to assess the prevalence of micro- and nanoplastics and their correlation with cardiac events.
Similarly, Dick Vethaak from Utrecht University underscores the importance of expanding research to other human tissues to comprehend the scope of this health concern fully.
Microplastics, particles measuring less than 5mm, are distinguishable from smaller nanoplastics, visible only through specialised microscopes.
Their widespread presence is now undeniable, evidenced by discoveries in diverse environments.
They have infiltrated human biological systems and are detected in blood, breast milk, urine, and various tissues, such as the placenta, lungs and liver.
However, this kind of observational study can show only an association between the plastic particles and heart attack, stroke or death. It cannot show that they caused these cardiovascular events.
