Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microfluidic-based in vitro thrombosis model for studying microplastics toxicity

Researchers developed a microfluidic-based thrombosis model to study how microplastics interact with the vascular system. Using both a mouse model and an on-chip system, the study found that microplastic exposure led to accumulation in the blood and decreased binding of fibrin to platelets, suggesting a potential risk of thrombus instability in blood flow.

2022 Lab on a Chip 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Effects on Thrombin–Fibrinogen Clotting Dynamics Measured via Turbidity and Thromboelastography

Researchers found that microplastics directly altered fibrin clot formation dynamics in a human thrombin-fibrinogen model, with effects varying by plastic type, size, and concentration, suggesting potential impacts on blood clotting and cardiovascular health.

2022 Biomolecules 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Effects on Thrombin-Fibrinogen Clotting Dynamics Measured via Turbidity

Researchers found that non-modified polystyrene microplastics significantly slowed fibrin clot formation in a laboratory model — reducing clotting rate up to 27-fold — while aminated polystyrene had minimal effect, suggesting microplastic surface chemistry may influence blood coagulation dynamics.

2023 Proceedings of IMPRS
Article Tier 2

Multimodal detection and analysis of microplastics in human thrombi from multiple anatomically distinct sites

This study used multiple detection methods to find and analyze microplastics in blood clots (thrombi) collected from different locations in the human body. The detection of microplastics within blood clots from various anatomical sites suggests that plastic particles may play a role in clot formation. This research adds to mounting evidence linking microplastic presence in the cardiovascular system to potential heart and stroke risks.

2024 EBioMedicine 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events

This landmark clinical study found that patients with micro- and nanoplastics detected in their carotid artery plaque had a significantly higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death over a 34-month follow-up period compared to those without detectable plastics. This is one of the first studies to directly link microplastic presence in human blood vessels to worse cardiovascular outcomes. The findings suggest that plastic accumulation in arteries may be an important and previously unrecognized risk factor for heart disease.

2024 New England Journal of Medicine 843 citations
Article Tier 2

PB1065 Microvesicles Display Opposite Coagulolytic Balances According to Their Cellular Origin and Activation Status

Polystyrene microplastics activated human vascular endothelial cells, upregulating inflammation markers ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, and promoted larger and denser blood clot formation when added to whole blood perfused over collagen at concentrations found in human plasma. These results raise concern that microplastics circulating in human blood could increase the risk of thrombosis and cardiovascular events.

2023 Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Peroral Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastic on the Value of Prothrombin Time and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time in Rattus Norvegicus Wistar Strain

Researchers found that Wistar rats given 0.5 mg/day of PVC microplastics orally exhibited altered prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time values compared to controls, suggesting that microplastic accumulation in the liver impairs hepatocyte synthesis of blood clotting factors.

2022 Journal of Widya Medika Junior 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Abstract TP089: Micro and Nano plastics in Cerebrovascular Health: A systematic Review of Current Evidence and Research Directions

This systematic review examines emerging evidence linking micro- and nanoplastics to cerebrovascular health problems. Studies found plastic particles in human brain blood vessels and arterial plaques, with evidence suggesting they may promote inflammation and oxidative stress that could contribute to stroke risk.

2026 Stroke
Article Tier 2

Microplastics are associated with elevated atherosclerotic risk and increased vascular complexity in acute coronary syndrome patients

Researchers found that blood microplastic levels were highest in heart attack patients, followed by patients with chest pain, and lowest in those with clear arteries, with polyethylene being the most common type detected. The findings suggest that microplastic accumulation in the bloodstream may be associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.

2024 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Cardiovascular Disease: Should Clinicians Be Paying Attention?

This clinical review summarizes evidence for microplastics as a cardiovascular risk factor, noting that they have been detected in human cardiovascular tissues and that in vitro and animal studies link them to oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and platelet disruption, while cautioning that human evidence remains associative.

2025 Current Cardiology Reports
Article Tier 2

Abstract TMP110: Impact of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Ischemic Stroke in Mice

Researchers investigated the effect of polyethylene and polystyrene micro/nanoplastics on ischemic stroke outcomes in mice using a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion model. Daily MNP pretreatment before stroke induction was assessed for effects on infarct volume and neurological outcomes, exploring the emerging hypothesis that MNPs may be a cerebrovascular risk factor.

2025 Stroke
Article Tier 2

A case-control study linking concentrations of microplastics in human cerebrospinal fluid to intracranial aneurysm risk

In a case-control study, researchers detected seven types of microplastics in the cerebrospinal fluid of both intracranial aneurysm patients and controls, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the most abundant. The study found that higher levels of polypropylene and PVC in cerebrospinal fluid were associated with a significantly elevated risk of intracranial aneurysm, suggesting a potential link between microplastic exposure and cerebrovascular health.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles in human blood and their association with coagulation markers

In a study of 36 healthy adults, microplastics were detected in the blood of 89% of participants, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common types found. Higher microplastic levels were associated with changes in blood clotting markers, suggesting that plastic particles in our bloodstream may affect how our blood coagulates, though larger studies are needed to confirm this link.

2024 Scientific Reports 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Abstract Tu0030: Carotid Plaque Microplastics are Associated with Clinical Symptoms and Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Macrophage Immunomodulatory Effects

This conference abstract reports findings from a study linking micronanoplastic content in carotid artery plaques with clinical symptoms and with altered immune signaling mediated by mesenchymal stem cells. Patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis had higher plaque microplastic loads, and stem cells modulated the inflammatory response in ways that differed based on microplastic presence.

2025 Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics are elevated in femoral atherosclerotic plaques compared with undiseased arteries

Researchers found significantly higher concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics in diseased arterial plaques from human patients with limb-threatening vascular disease compared to healthy arteries, adding to growing evidence that these particles accumulate in cardiovascular tissue and may play a role in artery disease.

2025 JVS Vascular Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics. a New Risk Factor for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

This paper reviews emerging evidence linking microplastic exposure to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, noting that MPs have been detected in arterial plaques and human tissues and may contribute to cardiovascular risk through inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial disruption.

2025 American Journal of Preventive Cardiology
Article Tier 2

Percutaneous coronary intervention leads to microplastics entering the blood: Interventional devices are a major source

Researchers measured microplastic levels in the blood of 23 patients before and after heart stent procedures (percutaneous coronary intervention) and found that microplastic concentrations jumped nearly 19-fold after the procedure. The types of plastics found in the blood matched those detected on the medical devices used during the procedure, confirming that the devices themselves were the source. This study reveals that common medical procedures using plastic equipment may be an overlooked route for microplastics to enter the human bloodstream.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas

Researchers raise methodological concerns about a widely cited study that found microplastics and nanoplastics in arterial plaque, noting that the lack of contamination controls, the unusually small particle sizes detected, and the limited verification methods make it difficult to confirm whether the particles came from inside the body or were introduced during surgery.

2024 New England Journal of Medicine 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Tissue-specific distribution of microplastics in human blood and carotid plaques: A paired sample analysis

In a study of 20 patients undergoing surgery for clogged neck arteries, researchers found microplastics in both blood and artery plaque samples from every patient. The plaques contained nearly six times more microplastics than blood, suggesting that plastics accumulate in damaged blood vessels. Some types of microplastics were linked to changes in cholesterol levels, raising questions about whether plastic particles could worsen heart disease.

2025 Environment International 8 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Micro- and Nanoplastics as a Potential Risk Factor for Stroke: A Systematic Review

This systematic review assessed the potential link between micro- and nanoplastics and stroke risk. It found that plastic particles have been detected in human blood vessels and arterial plaques, and may contribute to inflammation and blood vessel damage — factors that could increase the risk of stroke.

2026 Journal of Xenobiotics
Article Tier 2

P69 | Microplastics and Atherosclerosis: Evidence of Microplastics in Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques

This conference abstract reports the detection of multiple types of microplastics in human coronary, carotid, and aortic arteries, finding higher MP concentrations in arteries with atherosclerotic plaques than in plaque-free aortic tissue, suggesting a link between microplastic accumulation and arterial disease.

2025 European Journal of Histochemistry
Article Tier 2

Exploring microplastic impact on whole blood clotting dynamics utilizing thromboelastography

Researchers used a blood clotting analysis technique to study how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and surface types affect human blood clotting. They found that negatively charged particles consistently activated the clotting process, increasing both the speed and strength of clot formation in a size-dependent manner. The findings highlight that microplastic surface chemistry and particle size play important roles in how these particles might interact with blood.

2023 Frontiers in Public Health 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfluidic thrombosis analysis system: possibilities and limitations

This paper reviewed microfluidic thrombosis analysis systems, discussing their possibilities and limitations for studying clot formation dynamics under controlled flow conditions relevant to cardiovascular disease research.

2023 Micro and Nano Systems Letters 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Weekly Journal Scan: Plastic particles in carotid plaques—inactive debris or predictors of cardiovascular events?

This journal scan summarizes a prospective multicenter study that detected microplastics and nanoplastics in excised carotid artery plaques and found that higher plaque burden of plastic particles was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. The findings raise the possibility that microplastics in arterial tissue are not inert but biologically active.

2024 European Heart Journal