Investigators reported that areas with higher concentrations of microplastic pollution may show increased prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and stroke, according to findings presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session 2025.
In the observational study, simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the investigators revealed that microplastics concentration ranked among the top 10 predictors of chronic noncommunicable disease prevalence when analyzed alongside 154 different socioeconomic and environmental factors.
"This study provides initial evidence that microplastics exposure has an impact on cardiovascular health, especially chronic, noncommunicable conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke," said lead study author Sai Rahul Ponnana, MA, a research data scientist at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, in a companion press release from the American College of Cardiology. "When we included 154 different socioeconomic and environmental features in our analysis, we didn't expect microplastics to rank in the top 10 for predicting chronic noncommunicable disease prevalence."
The investigators examined associations between microplastics concentration in aquatic environments and disease prevalence across 555 census tracts along U.S. coastlines and lakeshores from 2015 to 2019. They utilized data sets from the National Centers for Environmental Information that classified microplastics concentration in seafloor sediments from low (0 to 200 particles per m2) to very high (over 40,000 particles per m2).
Disease prevalence data was obtained from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the year 2019. The investigators employed a machine learning model to predict disease prevalence based on microplastics concentration and to compare these associations with other social and environmental determinants of health.
The analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between microplastics concentration and hypertension, diabetes, and stroke, with evidence suggesting a dose-response relationship. Higher concentrations of microplastic pollution were associated with higher disease prevalence. Notably, the relationship between microplastics concentration and stroke risk was comparable to established risk factors such as minority race and lack of health insurance.
Cancer rates, however, did not show a consistent association with microplastics pollution in the analyzed areas.
The investigators emphasized that while the findings demonstrated an association, they didn't necessarily establish causation. "More studies are required to determine whether there is a causal relationship or if this pollution is occurring alongside another factor that leads to health issues," the study authors noted.
Microplastics, defined as plastic fragments between 1 nm and 5 mm, originate from various sources including food packaging, consumer products, and building materials. Human exposure occurs through water, food, and air.
"The environment plays a very important role in our health, especially cardiovascular health," the study authors said. "As a result, taking care of our environment means taking care of ourselves."
A separate study also presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session 2025 found a strong correlation between microplastics in coronary artery plaques and the risk of adverse cardiovascular events, further suggesting that microplastics may contribute to cardiovascular pathology.