Plastic pollution in the blood: Stroke victims found to have more than 50 times the amount of microplastics in their arteries compared to healthy individuals
Stroke victims have been found to have more than 50 times the amount of microplastics in their arteries compared with healthy individuals, research suggests.
The study adds to growing evidence linking these toxic particles to serious health risks, including heart attacks, blood clots and dementia.
Microplastics – tiny fragments from industrial processes or degrading plastics – are now widespread in the ocean, the food chain and the water supply.
They can be small enough to penetrate body tissues and even cells. Research has suggested the particles could be causing health issues by leaking toxic chemicals into the body, disrupting the body’s hormonal system.
And more recent studies have shown that microplastics could even be causing blockages in the brain, heart and bloodstream.
Now researchers from the University of New Mexico have shown that patients who have experienced a stroke, mini-stroke or temporary loss of vision due to clogged blood vessels in their neck had a significantly higher concentration of microplastics than those with healthy arteries.
The scientists divided 50 of the trial participants by the level of plaque build-up they had in their carotid arteries – the major blood vessels on either side of the neck that supply blood to the head and brain.
Plaque, a mixture of fatty deposits, cholesterol and calcium, can be found anywhere in the body, and can contribute to heart disease, stroke and dementia.
Stroke victims have been found to have more than 50 times the amount of microplastics in their arteries compared with healthy individuals, research suggests (stock image)
The study adds to growing evidence linking these toxic particles to serious health risks, including heart attacks, blood clots and dementia. Microplastics – tiny fragments from industrial processes or degrading plastics – are now widespread in the ocean, the food chain and the water supply
Plaque, a mixture of fatty deposits, cholesterol and calcium, can be found anywhere in the body, and can contribute to heart disease, stroke and dementia. Pictured: An illustration of plaque build-up in the arteries
Participants with high levels of plaque were found to have nearly 16 times more microplastic build-up in their necks, the researchers revealed.
Those who had experienced symptoms from this build-up – whether temporary vision loss or stroke – had more than 50 times the amount of microplastics as those with no plaque at all.
While the study, presented at an American Heart Association conference last week, did not prove that microplastics in plaque caused these symptoms, lead author Dr Ross Clark says it marks an important step towards understanding what the particles can do to our bodies.
