In a world where plastic is literally in the air, a new study finds that people with heart disease may have more plastic than plaque in their arteries. Doctors at the University of Campania discovered that more than half of the patients they examined had microplastics in their clogged arteries. The groundbreaking study focused on patients undergoing surgery for a condition related to the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Researchers analyzed the plaque extracted during these procedures, and what they found was startling. Nearly six in 10 patients had these plastic particles embedded within the plaque in their arteries. The presence of these materials was visually confirmed, what showed was jagged-edged particles among the cells made to remove debris. The researchers discovered that those with plastics in their plaque faced a much higher risk of severe cardiovascular issues. “Like solutions to climate change, resolution of the problems associated with plastics will require a wide-scale transition away from fossil carbon. The path will not be easy, but inaction is no longer an option,” commented Dr. Philip Landrigan of Boston College.