Tiny plastic particles, often called microplastics – ranging between 5 millimeters and 100 nanometers – are ubiquitous environmental pollutants. Scientists have identified microplastics in food (especially seafood), soil, drinking water, fresh- and saltwater bodies, and air. A recent study found that microplastics accumulate in human arterial plaques, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease-related events, such as heart attack or stroke, nearly fivefold.

The study involved 257 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, a procedure in which a surgeon removes plaques from the heart’s arteries. Researchers analyzed the plaque for the presence of microplastics, measured the patients' inflammatory biomarkers, and tracked their health for about three years.

They found that more than half of the patients (58.4 percent) had microplastics in their arterial plaques, appearing as jagged-edged foreign particles. Those with microplastics in their plaques were 4.53 times more likely to experience a cardiovascular disease-related event during the three-year follow-up than those without microplastics. They were also more likely to be male, younger, and have diabetes, cardiovascular disease, abnormal blood lipids, and higher inflammatory markers.

These findings suggest that microplastics, a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, accumulate in arterial plaques, markedly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease-related events. Evidence indicates that microplastic exposure is associated with many other adverse health outcomes. For example, a comprehensive review of the effects of microplastics revealed that microplastics induce oxidative stress and increase the risk for metabolic dysfunction, neurotoxicity, and some cancers. Some of these effects may be due to compounds commonly associated with plastic manufacturing, such as bisphenol A, or BPA, phthalates, and heavy metals that are present in and on microplastics.

• Read full publication.