Microplastics may be linked to serious health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke, according to a new study presented this week. Researchers found that people living in areas with higher levels of microplastic pollution had higher rates of these chronic conditions.
The findings were presented this week at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting in Chicago. Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and federal environmental agencies, focusing on 555 census tracts across coastal and lakeshore regions in the United States. They found that areas with higher levels of microplastic pollution also had significantly higher rates of these chronic diseases.
Microplastics are small particles of plastic, as tiny as one nanometer in size—far smaller than the width of a human hair. They are created when larger plastic products break down over time and can come from everyday sources like food packaging, consumer goods, and building materials. People can ingest or inhale these particles through food, water, or air.
Lead investigator Sai Rahul Ponnana, a research data scientist at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, said the findings point to an important environmental factor affecting heart health. “This study provides initial evidence that microplastics exposure has an impact on cardiovascular health, especially chronic, noncommunicable conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke,” Ponnana stated in a press release.
Perhaps most notably, the research showed a dose relationship: areas with higher concentrations of microplastics tended to have greater prevalence of chronic illness. Out of 154 environmental and socioeconomic risk factors evaluated—including air pollution, income levels, and employment status—microplastics ranked among the top 10 predictors of chronic disease.
Still, the researchers emphasized that this does not prove a direct cause-and-effect link. More studies are needed to confirm whether microplastics directly contribute to these conditions or if other factors are also at play. The study’s findings are considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
While the long-term health impact of microplastics is still being studied, experts are encouraging people to reduce plastic use where possible. “The environment plays a very important role in our health, especially cardiovascular health,” Ponnana said. “As a result, taking care of our environment means taking care of ourselves.”
This latest research adds to growing questions about the unseen effects of modern pollution. For now, Americans may want to take a closer look at how plastic is used and discarded in everyday life.