Microplastics Detected in Coronary Blood of 84% of Severe Heart Attack Patients

Researchers have identified microplastics and nanoplastics in the coronary blood of 84% of patients who suffered serious heart attacks, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal. This prevalence contrasts with 40% detection in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease and 32% in individuals with normal coronary arteries.

The investigation also found that patients experiencing heart attacks carried a broader range of plastic types in their blood, with polyethylene—the widely used plastic in packaging and consumer goods—being the most frequently detected material.

How Microplastics Enter the Circulatory System

Dr. Pasquale Paolisso from Sant’Andrea Hospital at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, explained that micro- and nanoplastics are minute plastic particles present throughout the environment, including in air, water, and food. Recent scientific efforts have detected these particles in human tissues and organs, raising questions about their health implications.

Prior to this study, little was known about the presence of these particles in coronary circulation—the blood supply to the heart—or the influence of environmental factors such as smoking and air pollution on their occurrence.

Study Methodology and Patient Sampling

The research involved 61 patients treated at Sant’Andrea University Hospital and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Italy. Participants were categorized based on diagnoses of heart attack, chronic ischemic heart disease, or normal coronary arteries.

Blood samples were drawn directly from vessels supplying the heart as well as from other body sites, enabling the team to assess microplastic presence specifically within the coronary system rather than relying solely on peripheral venous samples. The analysis took place at the Research Centre on Environmental Pollution and Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Naples, Italy.

Environmental Factors Linked to Microplastic Presence

Smoking was identified as a significant factor, with smokers being six times more likely to have microplastics in their blood compared to nonsmokers. Similarly, patients exposed to elevated long-term air pollution levels, specifically particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5), showed higher microplastic detection rates.

All patients who both smoked and experienced higher air pollution exposure tested positive for plastic particles, whereas the detection rate dropped to 12.5% among those without these exposures.

Potential Lung Pathway for Microplastic Entry

Professor Emanuele Barbato, who led the study and directs the Cardiology Unit at Sant’Andrea University Hospital, noted that while the findings do not establish causation between microplastics and heart attacks, there is a strong association between environmental exposures, microplastics in blood, and cardiovascular disease.

The research suggests smoking may facilitate the entry of micro- and nanoplastics into the bloodstream via the lungs, with air pollution potentially acting similarly. The findings emphasize the importance of considering microplastic pollution within the broader context of environmental health determinants.

Emerging Evidence on Cardiovascular Risks

An editorial by Professor Andreas Daiber and colleagues from the University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, contextualized these results within growing research on plastic exposure. They highlighted that micro- and nanoplastics, fragments of larger plastics, are now detected in all environmental compartments and within human tissues such as blood, lungs, placenta, and breast milk.

Previous studies have found plastic particles inside fatty plaques removed from arteries, linking their presence to increased risks of heart attack, stroke, and mortality.

Inflammation and Vascular Damage Associated with Plastics

The heart attack patients in the study exhibited elevated inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, which are involved in immune responses and typically rise during inflammation. These findings suggest a connection between plastic exposure and systemic inflammation.

Although the sample size was limited, the study provides early clinical evidence that plastic particles may be associated with acute cardiovascular events. Experimental research indicates that these particles can induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction, all mechanisms contributing to vascular injury.

Implications for Cardiovascular Health and Policy

The convergence of epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic data points to plastic pollution as a possible underestimated risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Addressing this issue will require coordinated multidisciplinary and policy efforts.

Professor Barbato emphasized that protecting cardiovascular health in the Anthropocene era will increasingly depend on reducing traditional risk factors alongside environmental pollutants, including plastics.

The study titled “Micro- and nano-plastics in the coronary circulation and air pollution exposure in ischaemic heart disease presentation” was authored by Pasquale Paolisso and colleagues and published on 14 July 2026 in the European Heart Journal (DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag447). The related editorial “Nano- and microplastics in the cardiovascular exposome: a new frontier in environmental risk” by Andreas Daiber, Marin Kuntic, and Thomas Münzel appeared in the same issue (DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag383).