MG: The truth is, we don’t know. We don’t know if people with higher levels of microplastics in arterial plaque had different environmental exposure, whether some people are more prone to keeping microplastics in their body, or whether microplastics are initiating the plaque because they are present.

Some people have hypothesized that microplastics can damage heart health by increasing chronic inflammation, which is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. It may potentially be that, but not every study has shown that people who developed disease had more inflammation.

Another possible explanation is that micro- and nanoplastics, which are jagged in shape, could be the perfect place for plaque to deposit. Another proposed mechanism is that exposure to micro- and nanoplastics can trigger the body to produce free radicals, which are unstable molecules that are damaging. Scientists have also suggested that exposure to these particles can cause apoptosis, where cells literally die.

Others have found that high exposure to micro- and nanoplastics may be associated with problems with the vascular system, known as endothelial dysfunction. And there may be a relationship between these particles and the way the blood clots. We’re at the earliest stages of figuring this out, and we need better studies in both animals and humans.