People with accumulation of fat plates in the carotid arteries have more Micronanoplastic In those blood vessels of the neck that those who have healthy arteries, according to a study conducted with a small sample.
The research has not yet been published in any scientific journal, so its results are preliminary and have been presented at the Discovery Vascular Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association held in Baltimore (USA).
The accumulation of fat in carotids can contain up to 50 times more micronaplastic than those free of those plates. The increase was significantly higher in the people who had suffered a stroke, a miniictus or a temporary loss of vision due to the obstruction of blood vessels.
The research led by the University of New Mexico in Alburquerque (USA) has several limitations and “cannot demonstrate that the micronaplastic present in the plate are the cause of the symptoms of the disease of the carotid artery,” says the American Heart Association in a statement.
Micronanoplastic “could be a sign of another health problem that would cause these symptoms,” adds the note.
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The team led by Ross Clark, from the University of New Mexico, used 48 samples of carotid arteries from many other living adults or tissue donors.
Research compared Micronanoplastic levels found in the carotid arteries of three groups: people with healthy arteries; with plaque but without symptoms; and with symptoms due to the accumulation of plaque.
In addition, they compared plaques with low and high micronaplastic levels to evaluate their effects on inflammation markers, the gene activity of immune cells called macrophages and stem cells that help stabilize the plate.
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The concentration of micronanoplastic in the carotid arteries was 16 times higher on the plate of people without symptoms compared to the levels found in the arterial walls of donors of dead tissue of similar age without plaque.
It was also 51 times higher on the plate of people who had suffered an stroke, a miniictus or a temporary loss of vision due to Blood flow obstruction to the retina, compared to the samples of donors of dead tissues of similar age.
When comparing the low and high levels of micronaplastic in the plate they found no relationship between the quantity of those particles and sudden inflammation signs.
However, if there were differences in the gene activity of the stabilizing cells of the plate and lower activity in the anti -inflammatory genes of the macrophage immune cells of the plate.
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These findings indicate that “the biological effects of micronaplastic on fatty deposits are more complex and have more nuances than the simple fact of causing sudden inflammation,” Clark said.
The team will now focus on better understanding the immunological effects of micronanoplastic in obstructed arteries, since it is “very important is to study what these materials do to our body.”
However, Clark said, you have to “be cautious with the first results of this study.”
We will not fully understand the biological effects for many years, ”he said.
The investigation was based on another previous one carried out in Italy in 2024 that He found micronaplastic in some people without symptoms that underwent surgery to remove the plaque from the carotid artery.
After a monitoring of almost three years, those with micronanoplastic in the carotid plate were much more likely to die or suffer a non -mortal infarction or stroke, according to the Italian study.
(With EFE information)
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