Nanoplastics in the body increase the risk of heart attacks and premature death

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Exposure to nanoplastic microplastics in carotid artery tissue appears to be associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and premature death from all causes. This increased risk was two times higher than in people who did not have nanoplastics in their carotid artery tissue.

“To date, our study is the first (study) to link plastic contamination to human disease,” explained research team leader Raffaele Marfella in the New England Journal of Medicine, as reported CNN on Monday (11/3/2024).

Nanoplastics are plastic flakes with a smaller size compared to microplastics. As an illustration, microplastic polymer fragments have a size of under 5 millimeters to 1 micrometer. Polymer fragments smaller than that are categorized as nanoplastics.

Through this study, the research team involved 257 patients who underwent the carotid endarterectomy procedure as participants. This procedure is carried out by opening the carotid artery and then removing all the plaque stuck in it.

The research team then analyzed the presence of foreign particles in the plaque and patient tissue removed from the procedure. From this analysis, the research team found significant amounts of polyethylene plastic in plaque tissue from 150 patients. Polyethylene is a type of plastic commonly used in plastic wrapplastic bags, and food or drink containers.

Some samples from patients also appeared to contain chlorine, a compound commonly used to treat swimming pool water and produce various consumer products such as paper and paint. Not only that, the research team also discovered this polyvinyl chloride or PVC in the tissue of 31 patients.

Based on these findings, the research team then monitored patients who had microplastic and nanoplastic fragments in their bodies for 34 months. The study results show that exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics in carotid artery tissue appears to be associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of heart attack, stroke or premature death from all causes.

In addition, plaque tissue exposed to plastic debris also appears to show increased inflammation in the body. According to associate professor in pharmacology and toxicology from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University, Phoebe Stapleton, low-grade inflammation is associated with a number of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

“The presence of microplastics and nanoplastics, as well as the inflammation that occurs afterwards, can play a role in increasing a person’s chances of developing this chronic disease,” said Stapleton.

Tips for avoiding exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics….