Millions of us unknowingly use fragrant lotions, shampoo our hair with shampoo, and eat food packaged in plastic every day. What if every day’s habits were silently increasing your risk of death from heart disease, though?
A new global study discovered shocking connections between phthalates, a series of chemicals that are widely employed in plastic packaging and personal care products, and heart disease. According to research, phthalates may have caused more than 350,000 cardiovascular deaths globally in the year 2018 alone. Up to 13% of total heart-related deaths in individuals between 55 and 64 years old may be linked to these chemicals. That is 10% in America.
Phthalates, also referred to as “ubiquitous chemicals,” are utilized to provide polymers with flexibility and softness. They are used in many products that may have lasting fragrance, including food packaging, cosmetics, and perfumes. Yet there is mounting evidence to demonstrate that these chemicals impact hormone systems and may lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease.
According to Dr. Tracey Woodruff, a professor of public health at the University of California, San Francisco, “Phthalates are already considered toxic.” “This study provides another reason for why we need to reduce their use in consumer products.”
The research, published in the journal eBioMedicine, established a correlation between phthalate exposure and increased deaths from cardiovascular disease by analyzing urine samples of participants across nearly 190 countries. As stated in the study, one potential connection is inflammation resulting from these substances. In addition, phthalates are associated with the risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity and hypertension.
Co-author Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, emphasized that the problem does not stop with greater developed countries. “We think of plastics as a first-world problem…But actually, the greatest burden is on the people in Asia, the Middle East, and Pacific.Deciding to base your regulations on the rest of the world is really concerning.”
The study highlights a rising concern: Low-income countries are becoming hotspots for phthalate exposure as more plastic debris is transported to them. They receive not just the world’s discarded plastic, but also the hidden chemical hazards that are present in it since they frequently lack stringent environmental safeguards.
Scientists are urging for quick action, even as some critics, headed by those who represent the plastics industry are arguing that the available evidence is too flimsy. They are calling for stronger legislation on chemicals like flame retardants, BPA, and phthalates, and greater disclosure in product labeling.
Microplastics and even nanoplastics have also been discovered in human arteries in recent years, by small-sample research, for concerns about their possible effect on the heart. A few scientists now believe that increases in cardiovascular fatalities can be caused by poisonous chemicals carried by plastic particles and not by the particles themselves.
Something is becoming clear from the dialogue still ongoing: There is a stronger link between phthalates and heart disease than we previously thought. Until now, researchers advise steering clear of foods packaged in plastic whenever possible and using personal care products phthalate-free whenever possible.
“We have to redefine our relationship with plastic,” Trasande said.
“Today, it’s our lives, not the planet.”
