The following is a summary of “Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events,” published in the March 2024 issue of Cardiology by Marfella et al.
In preclinical studies, microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging as potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease, yet direct evidence of this risk in humans remains elusive.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate whether Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) in humans increase cardiovascular disease risk.
They involved patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid artery disease. The excised carotid plaque specimens underwent analysis for MNPs using pyrolysis–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, stable isotope analysis, and electron microscopy. Inflammatory biomarkers were evaluated through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemical assay. The primary endpoint compared the occurrence of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death among patients with MNPs in plaque versus those without evidence of MNPs.
The result showed 304 patients enrolled, 150 (58.4%) had polyethylene detected in carotid artery plaque, with an average level of 21.7±24.5 μg per milligram of plaque, 31 patients (12.1%) had measurable amounts of polyvinyl chloride, averaging 5.2±2.4 μg per milligram of plaque. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of visible, jagged-edged foreign particles among plaque macrophages and scattered in the external debris, some of which contained chlorine, as seen in the radiographic examination. Patients with detectable MNPs within the atheroma were at a significantly higher risk for a primary end-point event than those without (HR: 4.53; 95% CI: 2.00 to 10.27; P<0.001).
Investigators concluded that the presence of MNPs in carotid artery plaque was linked to a nearly five-fold increased risk of major cardiovascular events or death within 34 months.