For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Do not change your diet, exercise, or health routine without first consulting your licensed healthcare professional.
For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Do not change your diet, exercise, or health routine without first consulting your licensed healthcare professional.
For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Do not change your diet, exercise, or health routine without first consulting your licensed healthcare professional.
For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Do not change your diet, exercise, or health routine without first consulting your licensed healthcare professional.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Researchers have found something unsettling inside the arterial walls of cardiac patients: tiny fragments of plastic. Not just in the gut or the lungs — but embedded inside the fatty plaques lining the carotid arteries that carry blood to your brain.
And the patients who had detectable microplastics in those plaques were 4.5 times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or die during the follow-up period compared to those without plastic contamination.
That's not a weak correlation buried in a small pilot study. That's a landmark finding published in The New England Journal of Medicine — the most rigorous peer-reviewed medical journal in the world.
Here's what we know, what we don't, and what you can actually do about it today.
The Study: What Researchers Found
The 2024 NEJM study (Marfella et al., doi: 10.1056/nejmoa2309822) recruited patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy — a surgical procedure to remove plaque buildup from the carotid arteries. Once the plaques were removed, researchers analyzed them for the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs).
The findings were striking. A significant portion of patients had detectable plastics — primarily polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride fragments — physically embedded within arterial plaque tissue. These weren't surface contaminants. They had accumulated inside the cardiovascular tissue itself, lodged among the inflammatory cells, lipids, and debris that make up arterial plaque.
Over the 34-month follow-up, patients with MNPs in their plaques experienced far higher rates of non-fatal heart attacks, non-fatal strokes, and all-cause death. When researchers adjusted for other cardiovascular risk factors — age, smoking, diabetes, blood pressure — the association held firm.
They also found that plaques containing plastic showed elevated markers of inflammation. That detail matters. Chronic inflammation is a central driver of cardiovascular disease progression, and plastic particles appear capable of sustaining it inside arterial tissue once they've lodged there.
The study has accumulated over 1,000 citations since publication — an unusually fast rate that signals how seriously the scientific community is taking this result.
How Plastics Get Into Your Cardiovascular System
Think of microplastics like microscopic splinters. When a splinter lodges in your finger, your body immediately mounts an inflammatory response — redness, swelling, heat. It can't dissolve the foreign material, so it keeps attacking it. Microplastics work the same way in tissue: the body recognizes a foreign particle, triggers inflammation, and can't clear it. Inside arterial plaque, that chronic low-grade inflammation may be exactly what drives the elevated cardiovascular risk the NEJM study observed.
Microplastics enter the body through three routes: food, water, and air. They shed from plastic food packaging, single-use bottles, food storage containers, and even the synthetic linings of beverage cans. Once ingested, the tiniest fragments — nanoplastics — are small enough to cross intestinal walls, enter the bloodstream, and deposit in soft tissue.
Drinking water is one of the highest-volume exposure routes. Studies have detected microplastics in tap water, well water, and bottled water alike. The container your water sits in matters just as much as what's in it. Plastic bottles — especially when exposed to heat, UV light, or mechanical stress — leach particles into the liquid. Swapping a reusable plastic bottle out for glass or stainless steel is a small change that compounds meaningfully over years.
(Quick note: nobody is expecting you to move into a cave and drink from a mountain spring. But there's a spectrum between "reusing the same soft plastic bottle since 2019" and "buying a new plastic bottle every day," and small upgrades along that spectrum add up.)
What You Can Do — Four Practical Steps
You can't eliminate plastic exposure. But you can meaningfully reduce your highest-volume daily sources.
1. Filter your tap water. A certified filter using reverse osmosis or activated carbon removes a substantial proportion of microplastic particles from drinking water. Look for NSF/ANSI-certified options — that certification means independent testing, not just a marketing claim.
2. Replace plastic drinking containers. Switch to glass or stainless steel reusable bottles and tumblers. If you buy bottled water, choose glass when it's available. The plastics-in-water leaching problem compounds with heat and age — a scratched plastic bottle that's been sitting in a hot car is much higher-risk than a new one.
3. Reduce plastic food contact. Store leftovers in glass or stainless-steel containers. Never microwave food in plastic — even containers labeled "microwave-safe" shed particles under heat. Avoid plastic wrap in direct contact with fatty or acidic foods, which accelerate leaching.
4. Choose packaging that reflects your values. Small decisions compound over time. When you have a choice, select beverages and food in glass or BPA-free packaging — not because it creates a perfect barrier, but because every meaningful reduction in daily plastic contact lowers cumulative exposure over months and years.
That's the thinking behind Eternal Springs Bio spring water, packaged in glass and BPA-free materials. If you're actively working to reduce your plastic load, the water you drink every day is one of the highest-leverage places to start.
For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Do not change your diet, exercise, or health routine without first consulting your licensed healthcare professional.
The Optimistic Read
This study is alarming — and that's useful. For decades, plastic contamination felt abstract, a problem out there in the ocean. Now we know it is also in here, embedded in human cardiovascular tissue, associated with measurable clinical outcomes.
That's unsettling. But it also means this is a problem you have genuine agency over. Unlike cardiovascular risk factors like genetics, family history, or age — what your drinking water is packaged in is a choice you make every day. Science often advances our understanding of risk before it hands us a cure. But in this case, practical steps to reduce plastic exposure are available right now, today.
You don't have to overhaul everything at once. Start with your water.
FAQ
What exactly did the NEJM microplastics study find?
The 2024 study by Marfella et al. found that patients with microplastics and nanoplastics physically embedded in their carotid artery plaque had 4.5 times higher risk of non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, or death over a 34-month follow-up compared to patients with no detectable plastics. Affected plaques also showed significantly higher levels of inflammatory markers — which is notable because inflammation drives plaque progression and rupture.
How do microplastics get into human arteries?
Microplastics enter the body through food, drinking water, and inhaled air. Once ingested, the smallest particles — nanoplastics — are small enough to pass through the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream. From there, they can deposit in tissue, including arterial plaque. The process is gradual and cumulative; there is no single acute exposure event.
What is the best way to reduce microplastic exposure from drinking water?
Two approaches have solid evidence: use a certified water filter (reverse osmosis or activated carbon, NSF/ANSI-certified) on your tap, and replace plastic drinking containers with glass or stainless steel. Plastic bottles shed more particles when exposed to heat, UV, or mechanical wear — so the older and more scratched your bottle, the higher the exposure. Choosing glass or BPA-free packaged water when filtering isn't an option is a practical next step.
Is microplastic contamination in food also a concern?
Yes. In addition to drinking water, microplastics shed from plastic food packaging — especially when heated. Never microwave food in plastic containers. Swapping to glass storage containers eliminates a meaningful daily exposure point. Heavily processed foods in plastic packaging also tend to carry higher microplastic loads than minimally processed foods.
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About the author — Roger Braun is the founder of Eternal Springs Bio, a NASM Certified Nutrition Coach, and a wellness entrepreneur with more than 14 years of experience in the dietary supplement industry. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in General Studies from Western Illinois University and has spent his career working with nutrition, supplement, and healthy-aging products.
Roger's writing focuses on the science of aging, metabolic health, gut health, immune support, and evidence-based nutrition strategies. He translates peer-reviewed research and supplement industry knowledge into clear, practical guidance for adults who want to better understand how nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation can support healthy aging in midlife and beyond.
Based on original ideas, research direction, and editorial review by the author, with AI-assisted drafting support.
This article is for informational purposes only — see the full disclosure below.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Do your own research and talk to your doctor before changing your diet, exercise routine, supplements, or health habits. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. If the above article mentions product(s), please know, These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.