People who suffered a serious heart attack had higher levels of micro- and nanoplastics in their blood compared with patients diagnosed with chronic ischemic heart disease and those with normal blood vessels supplying the heart, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal on Wednesday.
The study also revealed that people who smoke and people exposed to higher levels of air pollution had higher levels of micro- and nanoplastics in their blood.
The researchers say the study adds to growing evidence that environmental pollution may affect cardiovascular health.
This study is a collaboration between researchers at Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Verona and the Research Centre on Environmental Pollution and Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” in Naples, Italy, a center dedicated to understanding how environmental pollutants influence cardiovascular health.
The study’s first author, Dr. Pasquale Paolisso of Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, said, "Micro- and nanoplastics are tiny plastic particles that are found virtually everywhere in the environment, including the air we breathe, the water we drink and many foods we consume. In recent years, scientists have begun to detect these particles in human tissues and organs, raising concerns about their potential health effects.
“However, very little was known about whether these particles are present in the coronary circulation—the blood flowing through the arteries that supply the heart—or whether environmental exposures such as smoking and air pollution might influence their presence.”
The study included 61 patients at Sant’Andrea University Hospital or Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Italy, who were diagnosed with either a heart attack, chronic ischemic heart disease or normal coronary arteries.
Rest of the article;
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-patients-heart-micro-nanoplastic-blood.html