Can microplastics and nanoplastics increase your risk of heart disease?

What's actually in it

Microplastics (under 5mm) and nanoplastics (under 1 micrometer) come from food packaging, water bottles, synthetic fabrics, and household dust. You ingest, inhale, and absorb them through your skin every day. Once in your bloodstream, these particles travel everywhere, including to your heart and blood vessels.

Researchers recently found microplastic particles embedded in arterial plaque, the fatty buildup that causes heart attacks and strokes. They're not just passing through; they're getting stuck in your cardiovascular system.

What the research says

A 2026 review in Food Chem Toxicol examined how micro- and nanoplastics contribute to cardiovascular disease. The researchers looked at the mechanisms, from cell-level damage to population-level health effects.

Plastic particles cause inflammation in blood vessel walls. This inflammation damages the endothelium, the thin layer of cells that lines your arteries and keeps blood flowing smoothly. When the endothelium is damaged, cholesterol and immune cells pile up, forming the plaques that lead to heart attacks.

Nanoplastics are especially dangerous because they're small enough to cross cell membranes and enter the cells that make up your heart muscle. Inside these cells, they damage mitochondria and trigger oxidative stress.

The review also found that plastic particles can disrupt heart rhythm by interfering with the electrical signals that keep your heart beating regularly. Combined with their effects on blood vessels, this makes plastics a threat to your cardiovascular system from multiple angles.