plastics: too many and too bad for our bodies
A recent Italian study found that microplastics detected in carotid artery plaques were associated with an increased risk of subsequent cardiovascular events (see cardiovasc plastics increase NEJM2024 in dropbox, or DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2309822) Details : -- 257 patients who had asymptomatic carotid artery disease were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter, observational study; these patients underwent carotid endarterectomy (all patients had >70% carotid artery stenosis) with specimens analyzed for the present of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs), from 2019-2020 -- mean age 72, males 75%, BMI 28rom 1019-2020 -- hypertension 73%, blood pressure 126/77, 20% smokers , heart rate 83, diabetes 34%, cardiovascular disease 42%, dyslipidemia 47%, total cholesterol 148/HDL 42/LDL 75/triglycerides 180 -- medications: beta blockers 41%, ACE inhibitors 65%, ARBs 26%, calcium blockers 10%, diuretics 17%, antiplatelet drugs 97%, statins 95%,...