Italian Study Links Microplastics to Higher Heart Attack Risk

Researchers in Italy analysed blood taken directly from the coronary arteries of 61 patients undergoing angiography. Among the 19 patients experiencing a STEMI heart attack, 84% had detectable microplastics in their arterial blood, compared with 40% of patients with chronic coronary syndrome and 32% of healthy controls. Polyethylene accounted for 97% of the polymers found, and heart‑attack patients showed both higher concentrations and a wider variety of plastic types.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, reports an association between microplastic exposure, smoking, and fine‑particle air pollution, but does not establish a causal link to heart attacks. Scientists call for larger investigations to clarify whether environmental plastic particles constitute an emerging cardiovascular risk factor alongside traditional factors such as smoking, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.