From water and food to shampoos and lotions, everyday products people consume and use are often packaged in plastic. Over time, environmental factors like sunlight break down plastics into tiny pieces — commonly known as microplastics and nanoplastics — smaller than a sesame seed. These tiny plastics can enter into the body, and scientists are studying the longterm health implications. Recently, research has found that microplastics and nanoplastics can accumulate in the arteries, leading experts to question how plastics may be linked to heart disease.

“Traditionally, the body excretes tiny plastics or does not absorb them,” explains Dr. Isaac George, an interventional cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “But the body can also deposit tiny plastics into organs, commonly the liver or lungs. Now, there is evidence that the cardiovascular system has accumulations of microplastics and nanoplastics as well.”   

Health Matters spoke with Dr. George to understand how plastics are linked to cardiovascular diseases and the importance of reducing exposure and mitigating potential health risks.  

1. Tiny plastics have been found in arteries of the cardiovascular system.  

The cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels, namely the arteries, veins, and capillaries. Studies have found accumulations of microplastics and nanoplastics in the carotid arteries, which supply blood to the head, brain, and neck, explains Dr. George. Several types of plastics have been found, including polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate.

Plastics and chemicals can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption. Their size allows them to pass the blood-brain barrier and gut-intestinal barrier, making their way into the bloodstream. “The deposit of tiny plastics in the cardiovascular system is a concern,” says Dr. George. “Are there deposits of these tiny plastics in other arteries in the body? Probably. But it may be more impactful when they are in the arteries to the head, brain and neck.”

2. Accumulations of microplastics and nanoplastics contribute to plaque in arteries, which increase the risk of cardiovascular events.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2024 – one of the first to link microplastics and nanoplastics to cardiovascular diseases – followed 312 patients for three years who had carotid artery stenosis and had surgery to remove the plaque. Findings showed that patients who had microplastics in their arteries had a 4.5 higher chance of heart attack, stroke, or death, compared to those who did not have any.

Carotid artery stenosis occurs when the arteries become diseased with plaque, explains Dr. George. Plaque is a substance made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the bloods. “Over time, plaque closes up or narrows vessels, in this case, the carotid arteries,” he adds. When there is a blockage in the carotid arteries, or if they become narrowed due to plaque, they are not able to carry blood to the head, brain, and neck. A stroke can occur if there’s a stoppage of blood flow to the brain.

A small 2025 study found that people with plaque in blood vessels in their neck may have 50 times or more microplastics and nanoplastics when compared to those with healthy arteries. This increase was significantly higher in people who had experienced a stroke, mini-stroke, or temporary loss of vision that was caused by blocked blood vessels in the past, stated the American Heart Association.

3. More research is needed to understand the link between chemicals in plastics and cardiovascular disease.

Chemicals commonly found in plastics, like phthalates and BPA, can have toxic biological interactions and reactions, explains Dr. George.

Studies have found that phthalates can increase oxidative stress, which can damage blood vessels and contribute to diseased arteries. The chemical can also promote inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease. BPA has been linked with high blood pressure, heart attacks, and coronary artery disease, adds Dr. George. More studies are needed, however, to better understand how these chemicals directly impact our heart health.  

4. We can mitigate individual risk by reducing plastic use but must also tackle the issue as a society.

It is hard not to think of any second of our lives that we are not dealing or interacting with plastic, says Dr. George. “Figuring out where we are getting the highest level of exposure and what the doses are is important. And once we have that, we can at least focus our efforts in the right place,” he says.

People can reduce exposure by using glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel products, when possible; and if using plastic, storing items in cooler environments. Since heat can cause plastic to break down, try not to microwave food in a plastic container.

“But more importantly, societal change needs to happen, such as improving the water supply, knowing your food source, and avoiding the plastics and chemicals added to products that people consume often,” says Dr. George. “When we start to work on all those factors as a society, a difficult problem like microplastics and nanoplastics can get better much faster than any one individual.”

Isaac George, M.D., is an interventional cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where he is also a director at its Structural Heart and Valve Center. Additionally, Dr. George is an associate professor of surgery and medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. George performs all kinds of open and reoperative adult cardiac surgery — with a particular focus on complex valvular disease — and specializes in minimally invasive, reparative mitral valve surgery with small incisions. He is an expert in structural heart interventions of the aortic, mitral and tricuspid valve.