Chemicals in food containers, medical equipment behind increase in heart disease deaths: Lancet

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Daily exposure to certain chemicals used in plastic items like food containers or medical equipment could be linked to an increase in deaths due to heart disease worldwide, according to a study published in the journal Lancet eBiomedicine on Tuesday.

Researchers at New York University Langone Health said that the chemicals, called phthalates, are in widespread use globally.

Phthalates found in cosmetics, detergents, solvents, plastic pipes, and bug repellants have for decades been linked with an increased risk of conditions ranging from obesity and diabetes to fertility issues and cancer.

The new study focused on a kind of phthalate called di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which is used to make food containers, medical equipment, and other plastic softer and more flexible.

Previous studies linked their exposure with an overactive immune response (inflammation) in the heart's arteries, which can potentially lead to heart attack or stroke.

However, the new analysis estimated that DEHP exposure contributed to 356,238 deaths, or more than 13 per cent of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64.

"By highlighting the connection between phthalates and a leading cause of death across the world, our findings add to the vast body of evidence that these chemicals present a tremendous danger to human health," said lead author Sara Hyman, an associate research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

For the research, the team used health and environmental data from dozens of population surveys to estimate DEHP exposure across 200 countries and territories. The information included urine samples containing chemical breakdown products left by the plastic additive.

The Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific bore a much larger share of the death toll than others -- about three-fourths of the total.

It is because these countries face higher rates of exposure to the chemicals, possibly because they are undergoing a boom in plastic production but with fewer manufacturing restrictions than other regions, the researchers explained.

"Our results underscore the urgent need for global regulations to reduce exposure to these toxins, especially in areas most affected by rapid industrialisation and plastic consumption," said Leonardo Trasande, from NYU Grossman.

Trasande stated that the overall death toll from heart disease connected to these chemicals is likely much higher.

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