Microplastics in Carotid Plaques Linked to 4.5× Higher Risk of Heart Events
A 2024 NEJM study found microplastics and nanoplastics embedded in the carotid plaque of 58% of patients; those with plastic in their plaque were about 4.5 times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or death within 34 months than those with plastic-free plaque, with inflammation and plaque destabilization proposed as mechanisms. Causality isn’t proven and replication is underway in New Mexico and elsewhere to determine if microplastics are a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor.