FeldMed Limitless Healing
Microplastics seemed to be in conversation for a while, and not it’s gone a little quiet.
Microplastics seemed to be in conversation for a while, and not it’s gone a little quiet. Some months back a large medical meeting discussed the impact of microplastics and their association with low lying coastal communities. What was found was that in areas with high microplastic concentrations in the surrounding seawater, there was a correlation with significantly higher levels of dysfunction in the population. Disability in mobility, cognition, self-care and independent living were all increased between 6 and 16%. The statistics were very strong, but as usual, there are confounders. Since people were found to have microplastic in the cholesterol plaques in their arteries, and deposits in parts of the brain, people are making the case that there is some causality here. It may be, but it’s certainly not definitive. It would not be unreasonable, though, to try to limit your plastic exposures. That could only benefit you in the long run.
Tiny Ocean Plastics Tied to Big Brain Problems
— Coastal counties with high microplastic levels have more cognitive and mobility disability
Marine microplastic levels in ocean water were associated with cognitive and other disabilities among people living in adjacent coastal counties, cross-sectional data showed.
Across 218 coastal counties in the U.S., the mean prevalence of cognitive, mobility, self-care, and independent living disability was significantly higher in counties with very high marine microplastic levels compared with low ones, reported Sarju Ganatra, MD, of Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, and colleagues.
Counties with very high marine microplastic levels showed a significantly higher adjusted prevalence rate (PR) of cognitive disability (PR 1.09, 95% CI 1.06-1.12, P<0.001), mobility disability (PR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.10, P<0.001), self-care disability (PR 1.16, 95% CI 1.11-1.20, P<0.001), and independent living disability (PR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.12, P<0.001) compared with counties with low marine microplastic levels, the researchers said in an abstract released ahead of the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.
Marine microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic found in oceans and seas that come from plastic trash or products like face scrubs, fishing nets, food wrappers, or take-out containers.
While microplastics are an emerging environmental contaminant, their direct effect on human health is not well understood. Recent research showed an increased risk of combined myocardial infarction, stroke, or death over 3 years in people who had microplastics and nanoplastics detected in atherosclerotic plaque.
In autopsy studies, microplastics and nanoplastics have been found in the olfactory bulbs of humans, suggesting a way for fragments to enter the brain. More recently, a small study reported that brains had higher concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics in autopsy samples than livers or kidneys.
"In our study, we examined the relationship between marine microplastic pollution and subjective cognitive decline measures at the population level, focusing on cognitive, mobility, self-care, and independent living disabilities. We found a significant association, raising critical questions about the long-term health consequences of microplastic exposure," Ganatra told MedPage Today.
"Given their ability to carry toxic chemicals and penetrate biological systems, microplastics may represent an important yet overlooked factor in chronic disease and disability," he continued. "Our research underscores the urgent need for further studies at a granular level to determine causal mechanisms and inform policies that mitigate the implications of plastic pollution to human health."
Ganatra and colleagues evaluated information from the CDC's Healthy Aging Program module, which was developed to study cognitive decline across the U.S. Disability data came from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2021 survey.
"When we talk about cognitive disability in our study, we're referring to serious difficulties with concentration, memory, or decision making," Ganatra explained. "Essentially, this means challenges in processing information, remembering important details, or making everyday choices."
Mobility disability referred to serious disability walking or climbing stairs, he added. Self-care disability involved personal tasks like dressing or bathing, and independent living disability reflected challenges in completing everyday errands alone.
The researchers also used the National Centers for Environmental Information's marine microplastics database to determine microplastic concentrations in ocean water settings from January 2015 through December 2020.
In counties with very high marine microplastic levels, the mean prevalence of cognitive, mobility, self-care, and independent living disability was 15.2%, 14.1%, 4.2%, and 8.5%, respectively. In counties with low marine microplastic levels, the prevalence was 13.9%, 12.3%, 3.6%, and 7.7%.
The study was cross-sectional and provided only a snapshot of relationships between disabilities, not long-term trends. Other factors may have influenced the findings.
"While this research looks at the coastal counties given our ability to measure the exposure, the problem of plastic pollution and excessive exposure to us and the entire ecosystem is affecting all and not just the coastal counties," Ganatra noted.
"We need to find ways to significantly reduce the use of plastic in our day-to-day life, such as avoiding plastic bottled beverages or food in plastic packaging, etc.," he continued. "Our health is not separate from planetary health and we have an obligation to take care of it, for us and for the generations to come."
