Microplastics found in blood vessels linked to greater risk of heart problems, study finds Elaine Chen By Elaine ChenMarch 6, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/03/06/nejm-microplastics-blood-vessels-plaque-heart-attack-stroke-death/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8qNk5vafoY9sHlUoKL8C4_fJtJSjDifdD-YEx264OAaiahUY1pfnK5w4qgFAf4t3FXzqQF-QyMDa27pkMHVZp3SoMSgQ&_hsmi=345537901&utm_content=345537901&utm_source=hs_email Microplastics are getting into our brains Microplastics (and their even tinier counterparts, nanoplastics) are becoming omnipresent in our environments, as are the growing concerns about their potential health effects. A study of liver, kidney, and brain samples from people who died in either 2016 or 2024 found that the brain tissue contained higher proportions of the plastics than other organs. Time also made a big difference, as brain and liver tissue from those who died last year had significantly higher concentrations of the microplastics than the 2016 samples. The study — which included 20-28 samples for each organ in each year — also found that there was a higher concentration of plastic particles in 12 brains from people with dementia diagnoses. But this is just a correlation — more information is needed to better understand the potential health effects these plastics may have, the authors write. Scientists are just beginning to understand certain associations. Last year, a study linked microplastics in blood vessels to a greater risk of heart problems.