Small Plastic Particles Found In Stroke Patient Arterial, What Causes It?

Illustration of small particles (The Sun)

JAKARTA - Recent research reveals surprising findings in the medical and environmental world. Scientists detected the presence of plastic particles in the patient's blood vessels experiencing a stroke.

Unmitigated, the number of plastic particles found in clogged blood vessels reaches 50 times more compared to arteries belonging to healthy people.

According to a recently published study, the highest number of plastic particles was found in people who had strokes, mini-strokes, or temporary vision loss due to blockage of blood vessels.

Micronaoplastics is a very small piece of plastic produced during the industrial process or comes from larger pieces of plastic objects over time, for example when decomposed in the sea or soil.

The size varies, the mixture between microplastics measuring less than 5 millimeters and nanoplastics that cannot be seen with the eyes. Due to its very small size, these particles are easier to spread and penetrate cells and tissues in the body of living things.

"This plastic type is commonly found in the environment, especially in places like the sad island' in the ocean," said Ross Clark, vascular surgeon and scientist at the University of New Mexico, lecher, who led the study, quoted from The Sun's page.

"Many people think micro and nanoplastics come from plastic, tissue, packaging, water bottles, and other plastic goods. But actually, the main source of these particles is the food and water we consume," he added.

The researchers compared micronanoplastics levels in carotic arteries, large blood vessels on both sides of the neck. Participants were divided into three groups, namely those with healthy arteries, those with plaque but no symptoms, and those experiencing symptoms due to plaque buildup.

They also compare plaque with low and high plastic levels to see its impact on inflammation markers, gene activity in immune cells called macrophages, and punca cells function to stabilize plaque.

As a result, the concentration of micronanoplastics in plaques in people who do not show symptoms is recorded to be 16 times higher than the levels found on arterial walls belonging to dead tissue donors and do not have plaque.

In fact, this plastic particle content is 51 times higher in those who have a stroke, mini-stroke, or temporary vision loss due to clogged blood flow to the retina, compared to the same tissue donor. However, there is no direct link between the number of micronanoplastics and signs of acute inflammation.

"These findings show the biological effects of micronanoplastics on fat deposits are more complex and not as simple as simply causing sudden inflammation," Clark said.

The next stage of this study will focus on a deeper understanding of the immunological impact of micronanoplastics in clogged blood vessels.

"It is very important to learn what these particles are actually doing to our bodies. But we also have to be careful with the initial results of this study. We may take years to really understand the impact biologically," Clark said again.

This research does have some limitations. For example, it cannot be proven that micronanoplastics in plaque is a direct cause of symptoms of carotic arterial disease. It could be that this particle is only an indicator of other health problems.

"We continue to improve the method so that the levels of fat in the sample can be reduced, so that it does not affect the results of the analysis," Clark added.

Responding to this study, Karen L. Furie, deputy lead volunteer at the Brain Health Subcommittee and Stroke from the American Heart Association, who was not involved in the study, gave her opinion.

"This is a very interesting and worrying study. So far, we have never considered exposure to micro particles and nanoplastics as a modified risk factor for stroke. Although we still need further understanding of the mechanisms involved in symptomatic carotic asterosclerosis, these findings open up new opportunities for stroke prevention." he added.