New research from the University of Campania shows that finding microplastics in artery plaques can double the chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
A recent study from Italy looked into how microplastics affect our bodies, especially our hearts and blood vessels. Researchers called it “revolutionary” because they found that having these microplastics in our arteries can more than double the chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
The Italian study on microplastics in artery plaques
The research was done by the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, along with other institutions like the IRCSS Multimedica in Milan and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Published on Last Thursday, March 7th, in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study was supported by an editorial written by Philip J. Landrigan, a well-known epidemiologist and the founder of Boston College’s Global Public Health Program. He described the Italian university’s work as “revolutionary.”
Giuseppe Paolisso, professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Campania and coordinator of the study which highlighted how the presence of microplastics in the arteries doubles the risk of heart attack
The study aimed to find out how microplastics affect our heart and blood vessels. It found a mixture of pollutants in artery plaques, showing for the first time that they can harm our health.
The results of the study on microplastics
The study involved 257 patients aged over 65 who had undergone a surgical procedure to remove artery plaques. These plaques were then analyzed to check for micro and nanoplastics.
According to Giuseppe Paolisso, the study’s leader and a Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Campania, the analysis showed that about 58.4% of patients had PE particles in their plaques, averaging about 20 micrograms per milligram of plaque, while 12.5% had PVC particles, averaging about 5 micrograms per milligram of plaque.
During the follow-up period of about 34 months, it was found that patients with “polluted” plaques had at least twice the risk of heart attacks, strokes, or death from any cause compared to those without micro and nanoplastics in their artery plaques, regardless of other risk factors.
The risks of heart attack and stroke
In summary, the study found that there was a noticeable increase in inflammation around micro and nanoplastics.
This means that the inflamed plaque can break more easily and travel through the bloodstream. If it gets stuck in a smaller blood vessel, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Dr. Paolisso points out that while a direct cause-and-effect link hasn’t been proven, the study is the first to show a connection between micro and nanoplastics pollution and human health issues.
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