Micro and Nanoplastics and Cardiovascular Events – Recent Study

Use of plastics in daily life is currently on the increase and it is a well known pollutant in our water bodies like rivers, ponds, lakes and ocean. Plastics can be degraded into microplastics which are smaller than 5 mm and nanoplastics which are smaller than 1000 nanometer [1]. Microplastics and nanoparticles can trigger toxicologic effects in the body [2]. Both microplastics and nanoplastics can enter our body through ingestion, inhalation and even by topical exposure on the skin. According to a webpage from United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), microbeads which are a type of microplastic are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products as well as some cleansers and even toothpastes! A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has correlated the presence of micro and nano plastics in carotid atheromas to cardiovascular events [3]. Experimental studies have suggested that micro and nanoplastics promote oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in endothelial and other vascular cells which could lead to impairement in cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis and endothelial dysfunction [4]. The NEJM study [3] was a prospective, multicenter observational study of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid artery disease. Detailed analysis of the excised carotid plaques were carried out with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, stable isotope analysis, and electron microscopy. Inflammator...
Source: Cardiophile MD - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: General Cardiology Source Type: blogs