Daily Archives: 29 April 2025

Study Links Plastic Chemical to Worldwide Spike in Heart Disease Deaths

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According to a new global analysis, daily exposure to certain chemicals used in the manufacture of plastic household items may have contributed to over 356,000 deaths from heart disease worldwide in 2018. Researchers found that phthalates—chemicals used to soften plastics—were widely implicated. Although these substances are commonplace across the globe, regions such as the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific carried a disproportionately high burden, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the total deaths linked to exposure.

Phthalates have long been associated with health problems, including obesity, diabetes, infertility, and cancer. Found in cosmetics, detergents, plastic pipes, insect repellents, and many other products, these chemicals degrade into microscopic particles that are easily ingested or absorbed. In this latest study, led by researchers at NYU Langone Health, the focus was on a specific phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), commonly used in food containers and medical devices. Prior studies have already indicated that DEHP can trigger inflammation in the arteries, increasing the long-term risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The research team estimated that DEHP exposure alone was responsible for 356,238 deaths globally among men and women aged 55 to 64 in 2018, representing over 13% of heart disease mortality in that age group. Sara Hyman, the lead author and an associate research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, stated that their findings reinforce the mounting evidence of the serious health risks of phthalates. She emphasised that the connection between everyday chemical exposure and one of the world’s leading causes of death demands urgent attention from both the public and policymakers.

The economic impact of these deaths is staggering. The study calculated that the resulting financial burden could amount to around $510 billion and possibly as much as $3.74 trillion globally. This builds on a previous 2021 study by the same team, which linked phthalates to over 50,000 premature deaths annually among older Americans. However, the current investigation is believed to be the first to produce a worldwide estimate of cardiovascular deaths—or any health outcome—caused by exposure to phthalates.

Data for the study were gathered from dozens of population surveys across 200 countries and territories. Researchers analysed urinary chemical markers left behind by DEHP and combined these with mortality statistics from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a US-based research organisation. The findings revealed that East Asia and the Middle East accounted for 42% of heart disease deaths related to DEHP exposure, while East Asia and the Pacific together contributed 32%. India experienced the highest number of deaths, followed by China and Indonesia. These results remained significant even after adjusting for population sizes.

The authors suggest that higher exposure rates in these regions may be due to rapid industrialisation and widespread plastic production, often without strong regulatory controls. Senior author Dr Leonardo Trasande, Professor of Paediatrics and Environmental Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, stressed the disparity, noting that some countries bear far greater risks. He called for urgent global regulatory action to limit exposure, especially in areas where plastic use and industrial growth are surging without adequate safety measures.

While the study highlights a strong association between DEHP exposure and heart disease deaths, the researchers caution that causation cannot be definitively established. The analysis also did not account for deaths caused by other phthalates or among age groups outside the 55 to 64 range, suggesting that the actual impact may be even greater. Future research will focus on measuring the benefits of reduced phthalate exposure over time and investigating other health risks linked to these pervasive chemicals, such as preterm births. The authors hope their work will inspire urgent global efforts to mitigate the health dangers posed by plastic pollution.

More information: Sara Hyman et al, Phthalate exposure from plastics and cardiovascular disease: global estimates of attributable mortality and years life lost, EBioMedicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.105730

Journal information: EBioMedicine Provided by NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Sleep Proven Vital for Brain’s Memory Management, Baycrest Researchers Report

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Although the positive influence of sleep on cognitive function has been recognised for some time, researchers at Baycrest have now discovered that a good night’s sleep may do more than preserve memory – it may actively enhance it. Their findings are the first to show that sleep protects memories and improves our ability to recall the sequence of life events, even more than a year later.

“While aspects of memory such as object size and colour tend to deteriorate over time, sleep appears to sharpen our memory for the order of experiences,” explains Dr Brian Levine, Senior Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute, part of the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education (BARE), and senior author of the study. Their research, titled “Sleep selectively and durably enhances memory for the sequence of real-world experiences,” was recently published in Nature Human Behaviour. According to Dr Levine, these results deepen our understanding of sleep’s critical role in weaving our experiences into lasting memories.

Unlike many memory studies, which typically require participants to memorise words or images under controlled laboratory conditions, this research introduced a highly novel and immersive real-world experience. Dr Levine, working alongside then-graduate students Dr Nicholas B. Diamond and Dr Stephanie Simpson, designed a 20-minute audio-guided tour featuring a series of artworks displayed at Baycrest, a globally renowned ageing and brain health centre in Toronto, Ontario. Participants completed the tour and were tested on their memory at intervals ranging from one hour to fifteen months after the experience. Tests measured both recall of the artworks’ physical features and the sequence of tour items. Notably, while memory for physical characteristics declined over time, sleep substantially boosted participants’ ability to recall the sequence of events.

To further validate their findings, the researchers conducted a second study where participants were randomly assigned to either a sleep or wake group. Those in the sleep group completed the tour and an initial memory test in the evening, followed by a night in a sleep laboratory where their brain activity was monitored through electroencephalography (EEG). They then took a second memory test the next morning. In contrast, the wake group toured and tested in the morning and underwent their second memory assessment in the evening after a full day of typical activities. Both groups participated in additional memory tests one week, one month, and fifteen months after the initial experience to measure the long-term effects of sleep on memory retention.

The results of the studies were striking. Sleep significantly enhanced memory for the sequence of the tour items, an advantage that was detectable after just a single night and remained evident even fifteen months later. However, sleep did not provide similar benefits for the memory of the artworks’ features, such as their shape or colour, which continued to decline over time. Brain wave recordings revealed that specific neural activity during deep sleep – particularly the presence of slow waves and sleep spindles – was associated with greater overall memory enhancement, suggesting a neurophysiological basis for these improvements.

This research reinforces the vital role of sleep as a foundation of good health, not only for physical well-being but for cognitive resilience as well. It highlights how deep sleep bolsters explicitly our ability to remember the chronological structure of daily events, even as finer details inevitably fade. These findings may also offer insights into the memory challenges older adults face, particularly those living with dementia, where disruption of deep sleep could contribute to difficulties in recalling life sequences. “The impact of sleep on memory is truly profound; even one night of good sleep can create lasting memory benefits that persist for over a year,” said Dr Levine.

More information: Brian Levine et al, Sleep selectively and durably enhances memory for the sequence of real-world experiences, Nature Human Behaviour. DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02117-5

Journal information: Nature Human Behaviour Provided by Baycrest Corporate Centre for Geriatric Care