Might Microplastics Be a Trigger for Dementia?

Visible macroplastics, such as bottles and bags, litter our environment and ultimately break down into invisible microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs). Levels of MNPs in the environment have been rising exponentially during the past 2 decades. In 2024, researchers reported that MNPs were present in carotid atheromas with increased inflammation and that this was associated with future risk for adverse cardiovascular events (N Engl J Med 2024; 390:900).

Using mass spectroscopy and electron microscopy to detect the smallest nanoplastics, a team from New Mexico examined autopsy specimens from multiple organs in 2016 and again in 2024. They report the following:

• Concentrations of MNPs in multiple organs increased substantially from 2016 to 2024.

• Co…