Latest news with #DrSarjuGanatra
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Coastal areas with high microplastic levels linked to diabetes, heart disease, stroke
Coastal counties with very high marine microplastic levels had higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke compared to coastal counties with lower marine microplastic levels, according to a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Microplastics are tiny plastic pieces measuring less than 5 millimeters in length -- approximately the size of a pencil eraser -- that result from the breakdown of larger plastic debris such as plastic bags, bottles, personal care products and synthetic microfibers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Microplastics accumulate in the ocean and are ingested by fish and other marine organisms, potentially exposing them -- and consequently humans -- to toxic chemicals. "Pathways such as contaminated seafood, drinking water, and even air inhalation could allow marine microplastics to enter the human body, making this a population-wide exposure risk with measurable health consequences," Dr. Sarju Ganatra, senior author on the study and medical director of sustainability and vice chair of research in the Department of Medicine at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, told ABC News. The study was conducted using the National Centers for Environmental Information's geodatabase with marine microplastic levels recorded from 2015 to 2020 for counties within 200 nautical miles of the U.S. coastal margin. Counties were then grouped into those with low (0-0.005 pieces/m3), medium (0.005-1pieces/m3), high (1-10 pieces/ m3), and very high (>10 pieces/ m3) marine microplastic levels. The rates of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke in these counties were then obtained using the 2022 CDC Population-Level Analysis and Community Estimates dataset and the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. Teen raises awareness about microplastics in oceans Among 152 coastal counties studied, those with very high levels of marine microplastics showed higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and stroke -- at 18%, 7% and 9%, respectively -- among adults with an average age of 43 years. This was true even after adjusting for race, access to doctors, socioeconomic status and environmental factors. Studies examining potential links between microplastics and cardiometabolic diseases are relatively new, and this study suggests that on a population-based level, there may be an association between microplastic exposure and chronic health conditions. Microplastics may trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood vessel damage, which can increase the risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke, according to emerging research. "One study found individuals with microplastics in carotid plaques had a higher risk of myocardial infarction and stroke … [and] animal models demonstrate that microplastics induce insulin resistance, vascular inflammation, oxidative stress, myocardial injury … all of which are implicated in cardiometabolic diseases," Ganatra wrote. Hidden dangers on Easter Island: The hunt for microplastics This latest study only examined marine microplastic levels and did not include groundwater or other potential sources. Additionally, researchers will need to conduct additional studies to allow for comparisons between rates of cardiometabolic diseases in coastal versus noncoastal counties with varying levels of marine microplastics. "The findings should ring alarm bells for all regions, given the pervasive presence of microplastics in our water, food, air, and packaging materials … These findings support a unified public health and environmental response -- integrating climate action, pollution mitigation, and chronic disease prevention under a 'One Health' framework," Ganatra added. Dr. Jennifer Miao is a board-certified cardiologist, critical care and interventional cardiology fellow at Yale School of Medicine/YNHH, and a fellow with the ABC News Medical Unit.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Shock study reveals UK regions where residents may be more likely to die early - due to toxic plastics
Microscopic pieces of plastic floating in UK waters have been linked to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes in worrying new research published today. Experts suggested tiny pieces of plastic, known as microplastics, could be entering the body via drinking water and the environment, and releasing damaging toxins into its tissues. In the study, researchers found that people living in costal regions with very high concentrations of microplastics in the water were more likely to suffer from a stroke, type two diabetes and heart disease. The researchers found that those living in regions along the Atlantic coast—such as Cornwall, Devon, Pembrokeshire and the Outer Hebrides—had a higher prevalence of these illnesses than those on the Pacific coast. The Atlantic ocean was also found to contain more microplastics than the Pacific. Dr Sarju Ganatra, senior author of the study and medical director of sustainability at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, said: 'This is one of the first large-scale studies to suggest that living near waters heavily polluted with microplastics may be linked to chronic health conditions.' While the experts only studied US counties, they found that those living along the Atlantic coast—which borders the west coast of England—experienced very high levels of pollution. In this area, every sample of seawater, about the size of a bathtub, could contain over 10 plastic particles, according to the study. The study found that those living in counties with very high levels of microplastic pollution had nine per cent more strokes and were 18 per cent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, a condition which is known to double the risk of heart disease including heart attacks. Residents living in these costal regions also experienced a seven per cent increased risk of coronary artery disease, a build up of plaque in the arteries that can lead to stroke or heart attack. Whilst the study focused on pollution in sea water, Dr Ganatra said: 'Pollution isn't limited to the sea. 'Microplastics are everywhere: in drinking water, in the food we eat, especially seafood, and even in the air we breathe.' The experts admitted that the new study cannot directly prove microplastics are causing the increased rate of cardiometabolic diseases, and said further research was needed. However, Dr Ganatra warned that 'microplastic pollution affects us all, regardless of where we live'. The study found the increased risk of cardiometabolic disease—including heart attack, stroke and diabetes—remained even when factors like age, access to doctors and other environmental considerations were accounted for. Dr Ganatra added that scientists are only beginning to understand the full impact of microplastics on health. He said: 'This study adds to a growing body of evidence that the garbage we discard into the environment often finds its way back to us. It's time to shift from awareness to action. 'We urge policymakers to view plastic pollution as an environmental crisis as well as a potential health crisis.' In the study, experts compared microplastic content in seawater by looking at the number of individual pieces found in a cubic metre of liquid in 152 coastal counties along the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Areas with the highest levels of microplastics contained 10 or more plastic particles in every sample of seawater. In areas with the lowest pollution, scientists described the pollution as 'maybe one tiny speck in 200 bathtubs of water'.
CNN
8 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
Health harms linked to living near highly microplastic-polluted US coastlines, study finds
Sign up for CNN's Life, But Greener newsletter. Our limited newsletter series guides you on how to minimize your personal role in the climate crisis — and reduce your eco-anxiety. Living near heavily microplastic-polluted waters along the United States coastline may significantly raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, stroke and coronary artery disease, a condition in which plaque blocks the blood vessels feeding the heart, a new study found. 'This is one of the first large-scale studies to suggest that living near waters heavily polluted with microplastics may be linked to chronic health conditions,' said senior author Dr. Sarju Ganatra, medical director of sustainability and vice chair of research in the department of medicine at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts. 'While this study measured pollution in ocean water, pollution isn't limited to the sea. Microplastics are everywhere: in drinking water, in the food we eat, especially seafood, and even in the air we breathe,' Ganatra said in a statement. Microplastics are polymer fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inch (5 millimeters) down to 1/25,000th of an inch (1 micrometer). Anything smaller is a nanoplastic that must be measured in billionths of a meter. Such minuscule particles can invade individual cells and tissues in major organs, experts say, potentially interrupting cellular processes and depositing endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, and heavy metals. 'The chemicals can be carried to your liver and your kidney and your brain and even make their way across the placental boundary and end up in an unborn child,' Sherri 'Sam' Mason, director of sustainability at Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania, told CNN in an earlier interview. A flurry of recent studies have discovered microplastics and nanoplastics in human brain tissue, the testes and the penis, human blood, lung and liver tissues, urine and feces, mother's milk, and the placenta. In the first analysis to illustrate harm to human health, a March study found people with microplastics or nanoplastics in their carotid artery tissues were twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die from any cause over the next three years than people who had none. Coastal waters were considered heavily polluted if every 'bathtub' of ocean water contained 10 or more plastic particles, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Measurements of microplastic concentrations were taken by the National Centers for Environmental Information between 2015 and 2020 for the ocean waters within 200 nautical miles of 152 coastal counties along the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers then compared disease prevalence in those counties with whether residents lived near low or very high concentrations of microplastics. That data was then adjusted for other contributing risk factors such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, access to physicians and socioeconomic status. Compared with people who lived near waters with low levels of pollution — defined as seeing maybe 'one tiny plastic speck in 200 bathtubs of ocean water' — people who lived near highly polluted waters had an 18% higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, a 9% higher risk of stroke and a 7% higher risk of coronary artery disease, the study found. However, the study cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship between nearby ocean microplastic levels that were only measured in water and the development of cardiometabolic diseases, Ganatra said. 'We also didn't measure plastic levels in residents of these counties, and we don't yet know the exact ways these particles may harm the body. So, while the findings are compelling, they should be a call for more in-depth research, not for making definitive conclusions,' Ganatra added. The study has additional limitations, including lack of information on the chemicals microplastics contain, said Ria Devereux, an environmental research fellow for the Sustainability Research Institute of the University of East London via email. Chemicals commonly used in plastic production have been found to pose health risks, including skin irritation, respiratory diseases, hormonal disruptions and certain cancers. 'The adverse effects of chemicals used in plastic production are particularly pronounced in the Gulf of Mexico, an area often referred to as 'Cancer Alley,'' said Devereux, who was not involved in the new research. 'This region experiences a higher-than-average incidence of cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases, which are concentrated in particular areas. 'The reason behind this is the concentration of petrochemical, petroleum and production plants involved in plastic production and an increase in the presence of chemicals used within the plastic production such as BPA and Phthalates,' she added. Phthalates, which are found in consumer products such as food storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume and children's toys, may have contributed to more than 13% of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64, according to an April study. 'Phthalates contribute to inflammation and systemic inflammation in the coronary arteries, which can accelerate existing disease and lead to acute events including mortality,' Dr. Leonardo Trasande, Jim G. Hendrick, M.D. Professor of Pediatrics and professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CNN in a prior interview. The chemical compound bisphenol A, or BPA, is an endocrine disruptor, affecting the hormones in the body, and fetuses and babies are especially vulnerable. The chemical compound has been linked to fetal abnormalities, low birth weight, and brain and behavior disorders in infants and children, as well as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity in adults. One study even found erectile dysfunction in workers exposed to BPA. While it's not yet possible to clean microplastics from the ocean, there are steps one can take to reduce exposure to chemicals from plastics. 'One is to reduce our plastic footprint by using stainless steel and glass containers, when possible,' Trasande previously told CNN. 'Avoid microwaving food or beverages in plastic, including infant formula and pumped human milk, and don't put plastic in the dishwasher, because the heat can cause chemicals to leach out,' he said. In addition, check the recycling code on the bottom of packaging to find the plastic type, and avoid plastics with recycling code 3, which typically contain phthalates, Trasande said. Cut down on the use of disposable plastics and bring reusable bags to the grocery store, suggests the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. Invest in a zippered fabric bag and ask the dry cleaner to return your clothes in that instead of those thin sheets of plastic. Bring a travel mug to the local coffee store for takeout and silverware to the office, cutting back on plastic cups and utensils.
CNN
9 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
Health harms linked to living near highly microplastic-polluted US coastlines, study finds
Sign up for CNN's Life, But Greener newsletter. Our limited newsletter series guides you on how to minimize your personal role in the climate crisis — and reduce your eco-anxiety. Living near heavily microplastic-polluted waters along the United States coastline may significantly raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, stroke and coronary artery disease, a condition in which plaque blocks the blood vessels feeding the heart, a new study found. 'This is one of the first large-scale studies to suggest that living near waters heavily polluted with microplastics may be linked to chronic health conditions,' said senior author Dr. Sarju Ganatra, medical director of sustainability and vice chair of research in the department of medicine at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts. 'While this study measured pollution in ocean water, pollution isn't limited to the sea. Microplastics are everywhere: in drinking water, in the food we eat, especially seafood, and even in the air we breathe,' Ganatra said in a statement. Microplastics are polymer fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inch (5 millimeters) down to 1/25,000th of an inch (1 micrometer). Anything smaller is a nanoplastic that must be measured in billionths of a meter. Such minuscule particles can invade individual cells and tissues in major organs, experts say, potentially interrupting cellular processes and depositing endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, and heavy metals. 'The chemicals can be carried to your liver and your kidney and your brain and even make their way across the placental boundary and end up in an unborn child,' Sherri 'Sam' Mason, director of sustainability at Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania, told CNN in an earlier interview. A flurry of recent studies have discovered microplastics and nanoplastics in human brain tissue, the testes and the penis, human blood, lung and liver tissues, urine and feces, mother's milk, and the placenta. In the first analysis to illustrate harm to human health, a March study found people with microplastics or nanoplastics in their carotid artery tissues were twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die from any cause over the next three years than people who had none. Coastal waters were considered heavily polluted if every 'bathtub' of ocean water contained 10 or more plastic particles, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Measurements of microplastic concentrations were taken by the National Centers for Environmental Information between 2015 and 2020 for the ocean waters within 200 nautical miles of 152 coastal counties along the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers then compared disease prevalence in those counties with whether residents lived near low or very high concentrations of microplastics. That data was then adjusted for other contributing risk factors such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, access to physicians and socioeconomic status. Compared with people who lived near waters with low levels of pollution — defined as seeing maybe 'one tiny plastic speck in 200 bathtubs of ocean water' — people who lived near highly polluted waters had an 18% higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, a 9% higher risk of stroke and a 7% higher risk of coronary artery disease, the study found. However, the study cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship between nearby ocean microplastic levels that were only measured in water and the development of cardiometabolic diseases, Ganatra said. 'We also didn't measure plastic levels in residents of these counties, and we don't yet know the exact ways these particles may harm the body. So, while the findings are compelling, they should be a call for more in-depth research, not for making definitive conclusions,' Ganatra added. The study has additional limitations, including lack of information on the chemicals microplastics contain, said Ria Devereux, an environmental research fellow for the Sustainability Research Institute of the University of East London via email. Chemicals commonly used in plastic production have been found to pose health risks, including skin irritation, respiratory diseases, hormonal disruptions and certain cancers. 'The adverse effects of chemicals used in plastic production are particularly pronounced in the Gulf of Mexico, an area often referred to as 'Cancer Alley,'' said Devereux, who was not involved in the new research. 'This region experiences a higher-than-average incidence of cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases, which are concentrated in particular areas. 'The reason behind this is the concentration of petrochemical, petroleum and production plants involved in plastic production and an increase in the presence of chemicals used within the plastic production such as BPA and Phthalates,' she added. Phthalates, which are found in consumer products such as food storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume and children's toys, may have contributed to more than 13% of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64, according to an April study. 'Phthalates contribute to inflammation and systemic inflammation in the coronary arteries, which can accelerate existing disease and lead to acute events including mortality,' Dr. Leonardo Trasande, Jim G. Hendrick, M.D. Professor of Pediatrics and professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CNN in a prior interview. The chemical compound bisphenol A, or BPA, is an endocrine disruptor, affecting the hormones in the body, and fetuses and babies are especially vulnerable. The chemical compound has been linked to fetal abnormalities, low birth weight, and brain and behavior disorders in infants and children, as well as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity in adults. One study even found erectile dysfunction in workers exposed to BPA. While it's not yet possible to clean microplastics from the ocean, there are steps one can take to reduce exposure to chemicals from plastics. 'One is to reduce our plastic footprint by using stainless steel and glass containers, when possible,' Trasande previously told CNN. 'Avoid microwaving food or beverages in plastic, including infant formula and pumped human milk, and don't put plastic in the dishwasher, because the heat can cause chemicals to leach out,' he said. In addition, check the recycling code on the bottom of packaging to find the plastic type, and avoid plastics with recycling code 3, which typically contain phthalates, Trasande said. Cut down on the use of disposable plastics and bring reusable bags to the grocery store, suggests the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. Invest in a zippered fabric bag and ask the dry cleaner to return your clothes in that instead of those thin sheets of plastic. Bring a travel mug to the local coffee store for takeout and silverware to the office, cutting back on plastic cups and utensils.
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Tens of millions living on US coast face early death as mysterious toxin invades the nation
Living along America's coastal waters could be putting millions of people at risk for an early death from diabetes, heart disease, or a stroke. A new study by the American Heart Association warned that microplastics, tiny particles found to be invading every environment and organism on Earth, are causing more serious health issues for people living near the oceans. Researchers revealed that coastal counties near oceans heavily polluted with microplastics had 18 percent more residents with Type 2 diabetes, seven percent more cases of coronary artery disease, and nine percent more strokes than counties with low pollution levels. Counties along the Gulf Coast and East Coast had higher disease rates than people living along the West Coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington. Dr Sarju Ganatra from Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Massachusetts said: 'Plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue – it may also be a public health issue.' Microplastics include all plastic particles less than five millimeters in size, which is the width of a pencil eraser or smaller. Particles smaller than the human eye can see come from decomposing plastic waste like bottles, synthetic clothes, personal care products, and countless other manufactured good. Scientists believe these particles make their way from polluted oceans into drinking water, seafood, and even the air, eventually getting consumed by people, which they theorize can increase harmful levels of inflammation and cause numerous diseases. There are more than 250 coastal counties along the US mainland which are home to over 94 million people, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). To conduct their study, Ganatra and his team examined 152 US coastal counties along the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of America (formerly the Gulf of Mexico). They collected data on microplastic levels in ocean waters within 200 nautical miles of these counties between 2015 and 2020, using information from the National Centers for Environmental Information. Researchers sorted the counties into four groups based on the amount of microplastics in the water: low (almost no plastics), medium (up to one small particle per 200 bathtubs of water), high (a handful of particles per bathtub), and very high (10 or more particles per bathtub). 'Even in health care – a field devoted to healing – we rely heavily on single-use plastics. Much of it ends up in landfills or the ocean, where it fragments into microplastics and enters the ecosystem,' Ganatra explained. The team then used health data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gathered between 2015 and 2020, to look up the rates of Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease (plaque buildup in the arteries), and stroke in these counties. They adjusted for factors like age, gender, income, access to doctors, air pollution, and neighborhood conditions, ensuring the results weren't skewed. The results showed a clear pattern: counties with very high microplastic pollution in nearby ocean waters had significantly higher rates of health problems that have been linked to an early death. A study in The Lancet has shown that a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis can significantly reduce someone's life expectancy, shaving off more than a decade for people who develop the disease in their 30s. According to the World Health Organization, stroke survivors may die between five and 10 years earlier than the average person who never had a stroke. Meanwhile, researchers in Europe have found that coronary artery disease is linked to a significant drop in life expectancy, with middle-aged adults losing five to eight years of life due to their higher risk for heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. The study in Journal of the American Heart Association does have its limitations. It only looked at county-level data, not individual people, so it can't prove that microplastics directly cause these health issues. It also didn't measure microplastics in people's bodies or pinpoint exactly how they enter the body, whether through water, food, or the air. Additionally, the study focused on ocean water pollution, not other sources like fish or plants which came from the sea and have been shown to be full of plastic particles as well. Despite the drawbacks, Ganatra contended that the results show a clear connection between the world's growing plastic crisis and rising rates of poor health and early death. 'This study adds to a growing body of evidence that the garbage we discard into the environment often finds its way back to us,' the study's senior author said. Previous research has also linked microplastic contamination in the human body to conditions like dementia, infertility, eczema, premature aging, and obesity. Additionally, previous studies in mice have linked nanoplastics (plastic particles that even smaller than microplastics) in the brain to cognitive changes, Parkinson's disease, and some types of dementia.
