Micro- and nanoplastics as emerging cardiovascular risk factors: a new atherogenic player?

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) are emerging environmental contaminants widely detected in food, drinking water, and human biological tissues. As human exposure continues to increase, accumulating evidence suggests that these particles may represent an emerging cardiovascular risk factor by inducing oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, lipid dysregulation, and other mechanisms that promote atherosclerosis.

This review examines the association between MPs/NPs and atherosclerosis, with emphasis on dietary exposure as a major route of human contamination. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases up to May 2026, focusing on experimental, epidemiological, and mechanistic evidence regarding the cardiovascular effects of MPs/NPs. The review discusses sources of dietary exposure, estimated ingestion, bioaccumulation, molecular mechanisms underlying atherogenesis, and emerging human evidence linking MPs/NPs to adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Current evidence supports the biological hypothesis that MPs/NPs contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Although experimental findings and observational human studies support this association, current clinical evidence does not establish causality. Nevertheless, MPs/NPs should be considered emerging, potentially modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, highlighting the need for standardized exposure assessment and further longitudinal studies.