Disclaimer: The content presented in this article should not be considered as medical advice. It is recommended to seek guidance from healthcare providers about any of the information mentioned.

In the era of heightened environmental awareness, one of the most concerning and pervasive issues facing our planet is the prevalence of microplastics.

These tiny plastic particles, often invisible to the naked eye, have infiltrated every corner of our ecosystems, from the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountain peaks, and have long been a cause for environmental concern.

However, it now appears that these minuscule particles may also be damaging our health more directly than we realised.


In recent research, scientists have discovered microplastics in the clogged arteries of over half the heart disease patients involved in the study conducted in Italy.

In examining 257 patients, the researchers detected the presence of polyethylene, a common form of plastic, within the arterial plaques of 150 of them, which equates to a staggering 58.4 per cent.

Another type of plastic, polyvinyl chloride—commonly known as PVC—was identified in the plaques of 31 patients, or 12.1 per cent of the study group.


In a follow-up conducted nearly three years later, the evidence suggested that the presence of these microplastics appeared to double the risk of heart attack, stroke and death, compared to patients who had no trace of plastic in their system.

The risk of these catastrophic outcomes was found to be 2.1 higher for patients with detectable microplastics in their arterial plaque.

The researchers said that they noticed the plastic as the ‘particles do not resemble usual organic material owing to their particularly irregular shape’.


As an increasing number of studies detect microplastics in human bodies, the authors of the study suggested that these tiny plastic particles, along with nanoplastics, are becoming a more significant factor in investigations into cardiovascular disease.

Phillip Landrigan, while discussing the study, said that ‘the benefits of plastics come at great and increasingly visible costs to human health and the environment’.

‘Until now, information on the health effects in humans of ingested or inhaled microplastics and nanoplastics has been scant,’ he added.


Before this research, most studies examining the long-term impacts of microplastics focused on animals.

Landrigan noted that this finding raises several pressing questions: ‘Should exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics be considered a cardiovascular risk factor? What organs in addition to the heart may be at risk? How can we reduce exposure?’

According to him, doctors ‘should recognise that the low cost and convenience of plastics are deceptive, and that, in fact, they mask great harms'.

As a measure to safeguard patients' cardiovascular health, Landrigan suggested minimising the use of disposable plastics whenever possible.


Aside from cardiovascular problems, researchers have found that microplastics are also associated with another deadly disease.

There has also been a study warning about its presence in an everyday ingredient in the kitchen.
What are your thoughts about these recent findings? How do you minimise the use of plastics in your homes? Share them with us in the comments below!