Microplastics could be triggering heart disease

Microplastics—microscopic pollutants in our atmosphere—could be driving the epidemic of chronic disease.

They’ve been linked to a rising number of cases of high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes and stroke, say researchers from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Ohio.

They measured microplastic levels in bodies of water along America’s East, West and Gulf coasts, and the prevalence of chronic diseases recorded in the areas; levels mirrored rates of heart disease, although the researchers didn’t see an increase in cancer cases.

Microplastics, defined as fragments of plastic between 1 nanometre and 5 millimetres across, are released as larger pieces of plastic break down. They come from many different sources, such as food and beverage packaging, consumer products and building materials. There are also microplastics in the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe.

But the researchers emphasise that correlation isn’t causation. Although higher levels are found in areas with raised heart disease rates, the findings don’t conclusively prove the microplastics were responsible.

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