Italian Study Finds Microplastics in Blood of Most Heart Attack Patients

Researchers in Italy analyzed coronary‑artery blood from 61 patients undergoing angiography. Micro‑ and nanoplastic particles were detected in 84% of those experiencing a severe acute heart attack, compared with 40% of patients with chronic coronary disease and 32% of individuals with normal arteries. Polyethylene, a common plastic used in bags and packaging, was the most frequent polymer, appearing in 97% of the positive samples.

The study, led by Dr. Raffaele Marfella of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli and published in the European Heart Journal, also identified smoking and exposure to fine particulate air pollution as the strongest predictors of detectable plastics in the bloodstream. Authors stress that the findings show an association, not causation, and call for larger, longitudinal investigations to clarify any causal link between microplastic exposure and cardiovascular events.

The results add to a growing body of research showing micro‑ and nanoplastics in human tissues—including placentas, lungs and arterial plaques—raising broader concerns about the health implications of pervasive plastic pollution.