A new study has found that daily exposure to certain chemicals used in plastic items like food containers and medical equipment may be linked to an increase in heart disease-related deaths around the world.
The research, published in the journal Lancet eBiomedicine, was done by scientists from New York University Langone Health. It focuses on a chemical called di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which is used to make plastics softer and more flexible.
This chemical is found in many everyday products like cosmetics, detergents, plastic pipes, and insect repellents.
For many years, phthalates have been connected to serious health problems such as obesity, diabetes, fertility issues, and even cancer.
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The new study highlights that DEHP may also cause inflammation in the arteries of the heart, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
The researchers estimated that DEHP exposure led to over 356,000 deaths from heart disease in 2018 among people aged 55 to 64, which is more than 13 percent of global heart-related deaths in that age group.
The team collected health and environmental data from around 200 countries and studied urine samples to measure the presence of chemical traces left by DEHP. They found that regions like the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific suffered the most deaths due to high exposure. This is likely because these areas are experiencing rapid growth in plastic production, often without strict safety rules.
The scientists are calling for stronger global regulations to reduce exposure to these harmful chemicals, especially in countries with fast industrial growth. They warn that the real number of deaths from heart disease linked to phthalates may be even higher than current estimates.
