A new report finds that exposure to plastics, particularly in industrial production areas, puts people at greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Sara Hyman, of the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, and colleagues, discussed the corresponding data in a manuscript published online in the Lancet. Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) and other plastic polymers are known to contribute to the development of CVD. Evidence shows that oxidative stress increases, metabolic dysfunction amplifies and the risk for CVD goes up as people are exposed to plastics. Global estimates of phthalate-attributable CVD mortality rates are needed to inform planning for cardiovascular health care across nations. Data was obtained from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) for cardiovascular mortality, and several sources estimated burden and DEHP exposure. Published exposure estimates were used to calculate hazard ratios of CVD mortality, and excess deaths and years of life lost (YLL) due to DEHP exposure were calculated based on country-level CVD mortality rates. A total of 356,238 global deaths were attributed to DEHP exposure in 2018, totaling 13.497% of CVD deaths in patients aged 55 to 64 years. The use of plastics was attributed to 349,113 of the 356,238 deaths. People in South Asia and the Middle East had the highest number of CVD deaths that were attributed to DEHP exposure (16.807%). The largest share of regions with the highest number of DEHP-attributable deaths in the overall analysis, totaling 73.163% of deaths related to DEHP exposure, consisted of the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific. Worldwide, a total of 10.473 million YLL were found to be attributable to DEHP. Overall, this study leaves many questions about the regulation of plastics, particularly DEHP, and highlights the disparities in deaths due to plastic pollution. “These findings underscore the critical need for enhanced regulatory measures and international cooperation to mitigate the health impacts of phthalates, particularly in regions characterized by high levels of industrialization and plastic consumption,” the authors concluded. Source: Hyman S, Acevedo J, Giannarelli C, et al. Phthalate exposure from plastics ad cardiovascular disease: global estimates of attributable mortality and years life lost. Lancet. 2025 May 1 (Article in press). Image Credit: ศิริธัญญา ตันสกุล – stock.adobe.com