Nanoplastics – is this really a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease?
Authors:
Jaroslav A. Hubáček 1,2
Authors‘ workplace:
Centrum experimentální medicíny IKEM, Praha
1; III. interní klinika – endokrinologie a metabolismu 1. LF UK a VFN v Praze
2
Published in:
AtheroRev 2026; 11(2): 119-122
Category:
Reviews
Overview
Despite extensive research and in-depth analyses, we are still unable to satisfactorily predict the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We are therefore striving to identify and define additional, as yet unknown risk factors for CVD, in addition to traditional risk factors. One such factor are nanoparticles – plastic degradation products ranging in size from 1 to 1 000 nm. Their presence has been proven throughout virtually the entire biosphere; in humans, nanoplastics have been detected in all organs. A potential causal link between nanoplastics and CVD was demonstrated in a study analyzing their presence in atherosclerotic plaques. Nanoplastics were found in approximately 50 % of subjects, and after 3-years of follow-up three years, these individuals had a higher risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, or all cause death compared to patients in whom the presence of nanoplastics was not detected. Studies with different designs also point to a potential effect of nanoplastics on coagulation, dyslipidemia, heart rate, and inflammatory markers. Animal studies typically use extremely high exposures to nanoparticles, and their conclusions should be interpreted with caution. To obtain information on the precise effect of nanoparticles on cardiovascular disease, a series of carefully designed studies will need to be conducted.
Keywords:
Nanoparticles – cardiovascular disease – nanoplastics
Sources
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