CC-0. https://pixabay.com/photos/blood-pressure-stethoscope-medical-1584223/
CC-0. https://pixabay.com/photos/blood-pressure-stethoscope-medical-1584223/

Tiny plastic fragments found in the plaques of more than half of clogged artery patients

Embargoed until: Publicly released:
Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

Observational study: A study in which the subject is observed to see if there is a relationship between two or more things (eg: the consumption of diet drinks and obesity). Observational studies cannot prove that one thing causes another, only that they are linked.

Case study: A study involving observations of a single patient or group of patients.

People: This is a study based on research using people.

A study of 257 patients with carotid artery disease, where fatty clumps called plaques form in the arteries, found the plastic polyethylene in the artery plaques of 150 of them (58.4%), and another plastic, polyvinyl chloride, in the plaques of 31 patients (12.1%). Using powerful microscopes, the researchers could see the jagged fragments of plastic among the fatty plaques. Following up the patients for 34 months, the plastics appeared to increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and death, compared with patients who didn't have any plastics in their system, the authors say.

Journal/conference: New England Journal of Medicine

Research: Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy

Funder: (Funded by Programmi di Ricerca Scientifica di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05900947.)

Attachments:

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public

  • Massachusetts Medical Society
    Web page
    The URL will go live after the embargo ends
  • Massachusetts Medical Society
    Web page
    The URL will go live after the embargo ends

News for:

International

Media contact details for this story are only visible to registered journalists.