Microplastics can raise heart disease risk in men by burrowing into arteries, study finds
New study reveals potential link between microplastics and heart disease
- A new study indicates microplastics could directly contribute to heart disease, offering the strongest evidence yet for a causal link.
- Published in Environment International, the research exposed mice prone to atherosclerosis to microplastics over nine weeks.
- Male mice showed significantly accelerated atherosclerosis, with plaque build-up increasing by 63 per cent in the main artery and over seven times in the brachiocephalic artery.
- Female mice, however, did not experience a significant rise in plaque formation under the same exposure, suggesting a sex-specific vulnerability.
- Researchers are now exploring why males appear more susceptible and if this applies to humans, highlighting the urgent need to understand microplastics' health impacts.