Plastic nanoparticles are entering our arteries

The harmful effect of ultrafine particles associated with air pollution (road traffic, industrial activity) on the heart and arteries is well known. On the other hand, this is the first time a team of researchers has established the presence of plastic micro- and nanoparticles (resulting from plastic degradation) in atherosclerotic plaques that block arteries, raising the question of heart attack or increased risk. stroke” The fact that this study has been published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine Despite its limitations – the small number of patients, the lack of information on their other cardiovascular risk factors – shows a strong interest of the scientific community in questions of the impact of the environment on our health. », p^R Charlotte Cordonnier, Head of the Department of Neurology and Neurovascular Pathology (CHU Lille).

The team of Italian researchers behind the study were interested…