The silent killer in your home: common plastics may be linked to thousands of heart attack deaths
A kind of chemical used to make everyday plastic products has been linked to a major percentage of global deaths from heart disease.
A type of chemical used to manufacture everyday plastic products is believed to be a factor in a significant percentage of heart-disease deaths, according to a new study spearheaded by researchers in the U.S.
Led by scientists at NYU Langone Health, the study looked at the effects of exposure to phthalates - a family of chemicals that has been linked to “an increased risk of conditions ranging from obesity and diabetes to fertility issues and cancer”, the researchers note.
What are phthalates?
According to the U.S.’s Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), phthalates are found in “an astonishing array” of consumer products, “from shower curtains to cosmetics to food containers”.
The NRDC’s Shelia Hu explains: “Phthalates are used for many purposes: to retain the scents used in fragrances, to soften and strengthen plastic, and to help topical products like lotions and cosmetics stick to and penetrate skin.”
Since the 1990s, Hu adds, concerns have grown over the health effects of exposure to phthalates, which break down into microscopic particles and are inadvertently ingested by humans.
So what exactly did the new study on phthalates find?
The Langone Health-led team of researchers focused on a type of phthalate known as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). DEHP, the scientists explain, “is used to make food containers, medical equipment, and other plastic items softer and more flexible”.
The scientists note that exposure to DEHP has previously been shown to “prompt an overactive immune response (inflammation) in the heart’s arteries”, upping people’s risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
By conducting an analysis of population surveys, the researchers found that the chemical contributed to over 13% of worldwide deaths from heart disease in 2018 among men and women aged 55 to 64. This translates into 356,238 fatalities.
“A tremendous danger to human health”
“By highlighting the connection between phthalates and a leading cause of death across the world, our findings add to the vast body of evidence that these chemicals present a tremendous danger to human health,” said Sara Hyman, an NYU associate research scientist.
Hyman is lead author of the study, whose findings were published late last month in the scientific journal Lancet eBioMedicine.
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