ACC: Microplastic Exposure Tied to Chronic Disease Prevalence

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 2, 2025.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, April 2, 2025 -- Microplastic exposure may increase the risk for chronic diseases, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held from March 29 to 31 in Chicago.

Sai Rahul Ponnana, from the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, and colleagues investigated the association between microplastic concentration in coastal regions and the prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and cancer in U.S. coastal census tracts. The analysis included 555 coastal census tracts located within 200 m of the shoreline from large bodies of water.

The researchers observed positive correlations between microplastic concentrations and high blood pressure (r = 0.24), diabetes (r = 0.3), and stroke (r = 0.26), while a negative association was seen for cancer (r = −0.16). These associations were significant for high blood pressure (F = 7.351), diabetes (F = 12.07), stroke (F = 8.798), and cancer (F = 3.986) in an analysis of variance. Microplastic concentration was a significant predictor of stroke prevalence, suggesting higher concentrations increase stroke risk, based on eXtreme Gradient Boosting modeling.

"The environment plays a very important role in our health, especially cardiovascular health," Ponnana said in a statement. "As a result, taking care of our environment means taking care of ourselves."

Press Release

More Information

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2025-04-03 06:00

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords