New study finds link between microplastics and heart disease. The tiny pieces of plastic flake off water bottles, chip off cutting boards, rinse out of polyester blouses and coffee pods, and come from many other objects. These do not only build up in the environment, but also accumulate in the body.
A 2024 study found that microplastics make their way into the arterial plaques, and end up causing fatty deposits inside the blood vessels. People whose plaques contained plastic particles were more likely to suffer heart attacks or strokes or die from other causes in the following years as compared to those without plastic detected in the plaque.
In a study published in the European Heart Journal, the results found that 84% of the people who had a heart attack had plastics in their blood, compared with only 40% of people with less severe heart disease and 32% of control patients with normal arteries.
The conclusion was that these study results provided further evidence that heart disease risk may be linked to plastic exposure. 1
In a 2024 study, of more than 300 patients, a link was found between microplastics in people’s arterial plaques and an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events. The highest levels of plastics were drawn from the blocked artery itself at the site of the blockage. These arteries also had elevated levels of inflammatory markers, confirming previous research linking plastic exposure with inflammation. 2
Smokers were roughly six times more likely to have detectable microplastics in their circulation than non-smokers. 3 Researchers speculate that smoking damages the protective lining of the lungs and impairs natural clearance mechanisms, making it easier for tiny plastic particles to cross from the lungs into the bloodstream. 4
Living with higher pollution levels and in a smoking environment resulted in patients much more likely to have plastics in their blood. In the study, those who both lived in a polluted environment and smoked all had detectable microplastics. 5
- Paolisso P, Scisciola L, Belmonte M, Scarsini R, Galli V, Gallinoro E, et al. Micro- and nano-plastics in the coronary circulation and air pollution exposure in ischaemic heart disease presentation. Eur Heart J. 2026 Jul 14:ehag447. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehag447. PMID:42447841. ↩
- Ririe AK, Fatema N, Dina TJ, Kuchipudi JD, Tamanna P, Libriansyah L, Akter T, Kaderi N. Impact of Microplastic Exposure on Human Health: A Systematic Review of Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Clinical Outcomes. Cureus. 2025 Dec 28;17(12):e100295. doi:10.7759/cureus.100295. ↩
- Gajbhiye S. Microplastics have reached one of the body’s most vital places (Internet). Earth.com. 2026 Jul 16 (cited 2026 Jul 23). Available from: https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-have-reached-one-of-the-bodys-most-vital-places/ ↩
- Upham B. Microplastics in Heart Arteries Linked to Severe Heart Attacks (Internet). Everyday Health. 2026 Jul 15 (cited 2026 Jul 23). Available from: https://health.yahoo.com/conditions/cardiovascular/articles/microplastics-heart-arteries-linked-severe-201039757.html ↩
- The Emerging Link Between Microplastics and Heart Disease (Internet). TIME. 2026 Jul 16 (cited 2026 Jul 23). Available from: https://time.com/article/2026/07/16/heart-attacks-microplastics-in-blood-study/ ↩
