The tiny fragments of plastic have become ubiquitous in our environment and body. The highest exposure to these microplastics, which can be consumed or invented inadvertently, is linked to increased prevalence of chronic non -contagious diseases, according to a new study presented at the American College of Annual Session Cardiology (ACC.25).
Researchers said the new findings add to a small but growing body of evidence that microplastic pollution represents an emerging health threat. Concerning his relationship with the risk of the stroke, for example, the concentration of microplastics was comparable to factors such as minority breed and lack of health insurance, according to the results.
This study provides initial indications that the exposure of microplastics has an impact on cardiovascular health, especially chronic, non -contagious conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. When we included 154 different socio -economic and environmental features in our analysis, we did not expect microplastics to be classified in the top 10 to predict the chronic non -contagious prevalence of the disease. “
Sai Rahul Ponnana, MA, scientist data researcher at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Ohio and the lead author of the study
The microplasms are determined as plastic fragments between 1 nanometer and 5mm released into larger pieces of plastics. They come from many different sources, such as food and drink packaging, consumer products and building materials. People can be exposed to microplastics in the water they drink, the food they eat and the breathing air.
The study examines the correlations between the concentration of microplastics in the water bodies and the prevalence of various health conditions in the communities along the coasts of the East, the West and the Gulf, as well as certain Laconians, in the United States between 2015-2019. While internal areas also contain microplasty pollution, researchers focus on lakes and coasts, because microplastics concentrations are better documented in these areas. They used a set of data covering 555 censuses from the National Environmental Information Centers that classified the concentration of microplastics into seafood sediments as low (zero up to 200 particles per square meter) at very high (over 40,000 particles per square meter).
The researchers evaluated high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and cancer in 2019 in census in 2019 using data from US Disease Control and Prevention Centers. They also used a model of mechanical learning to predict the prevalence of these situations based on the standards in the data and to compare the correlations observed with the concentration of microplastics with connections to 154 other social and environmental factors such as average household incomes, the percentage of employment.
The results revealed that the concentration of microplastics was positively associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke, while cancer is not consistently linked to microplastics. The results also suggested a dose relationship, in which higher concentrations of microplastic pollution are associated with a higher prevalence of the disease. However, the researchers said that the evidence of a correlation does not necessarily mean that the trifles cause these health problems. More studies are needed to determine whether there is a causal relationship or whether this pollution occurs in parallel to another factor that leads to health problems, they said.
Further research is also needed to determine the exposure or time it may take to exposure microplastics to have an impact on health if there is a causal relationship, according to Ponnana. However, on the basis of the available data, it is reasonable to believe that trifles can play a role in health and we need to take measures to reduce reports, he said. Although it is not possible to completely avoid swallowing or inhalation of microplastics when present in the environment, given the way in which they are ubiquitous and tiny, the researchers have stated that the best way to minimize the exposure of microplastics is to limit the amount of plastic and the quantity of plastic.
“The environment plays a very important role in our health, especially in cardiovascular health,” Ponnana said. “As a result, our environmental care means taking care of ourselves.”
