Medical Bulletin 25/ May/ 2024

In a recent study published in the journal EBioMedicine, researchers explored how microplastic affects human health. They examined blood clots taken from deep veins, as well as from arteries in the heart and brain. The study focused on measuring the amount, physical characteristics, and types of microplastics present in these blood clots.

Microplastics, tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 millimetres in size, are a growing concern for human health. When we consume food or water contaminated with microplastics, these particles can enter our bodies and accumulate in various organs and tissues. Research suggests that microplastics may have harmful effects on human health, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of hormonal balance.

In humans, microplastics have been detected in blood, sputum, liver, heart, lungs, testes, endometrium, placenta, and amniotic fluid. Studies have even found microplastics in blood clots. Since the formation of blood clots is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, these findings indicate that microplastics could significantly threaten vascular health.

In this study, researchers used various methods to examine and measure the kinds of materials, amounts, and physical characteristics of microplastics found in blood clots from three significant blood vessels: deep veins, coronary arteries, and intracranial arteries.

The participants included individuals who needed surgery to remove blood clots after experiencing heart attacks, strokes, or deep vein thrombosis. They then analysed the blood clot samples for microplastics, focusing on ten different types of polymers and used microscopy and spectroscopy to study the size, quantity, and shape of the particles.

The results showed that microplastics, made from different materials and with various physical traits, were present in different amounts in blood clots that formed in major arteries and veins. These microplastic levels were higher in patients who had severe ischemic strokes.

Out of 30 blood clots from patients with heart attacks, deep vein clots, or ischemic strokes, 24 (80%) contained microplastics. The average concentration of microplastics in the clots was 141.80 μg/g for heart attack cases, 69.62 μg/g for deep vein thrombosis cases, and 61.75 μg/g for ischemic stroke cases.

The findings revealed that blood clots taken from major blood vessels of patients with heart attacks, ischemic strokes, or deep vein thrombosis contained notable amounts of microplastics with different polymer types and characteristics. Additionally, it was found that higher levels of microplastics correlated with an increased risk of thrombotic events and more severe disease outcomes.

Reference: Wang, T., Yi, Z., Liu, X., Cai, Y., Huang, X., Fang, J., Shen, R., Lu, W., Xiao, Y., Zhuang, W., & Guo, S. (2024). Multimodal detection and analysis of microplastics in human thrombi from multiple anatomically distinct sites. EBioMedicine, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105118

A study published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes revealed that increasing the intake of flavonoid-rich foods can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes poses a growing public health challenge due to its rising prevalence worldwide. Presently, over 415 million individuals are affected by diabetes, with more than 4 million deaths attributed to the condition globally.

Eating more plant-based foods can lower the chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Plants have many natural compounds called flavonoids, which are good for health. These flavonoids come in different types, like flavanones, flavones, and others.

Studies have shown that eating more foods with flavonoids can make the body more sensitive to insulin, lower resistance to insulin, and improve the levels of fats in the blood.

In this study, scientists have investigated the association between a flavonoid-rich diet and incident type 2 diabetes. They studied 113,097 people who were part of the UK Biobank. The researchers checked the participants' diets by asking them what they ate for two or more days and used a database to see how much flavonoid they were consuming. They focused on ten foods that are high in flavonoids and calculated a score based on how often people ate these foods.

The results showed that on average, people in the study consumed about 805.7 milligrams of flavonoids each day. Over the course of 12 years, researchers found 2,628 new cases of type 2 diabetes.

Women, older adults, those who were physically active tended to eat more foods rich in flavonoids. After considering factors like age and lifestyle, researchers discovered that those who ate six servings of flavonoid-rich foods daily had a 28% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who ate just one serving per day.

For every additional serving of flavonoid-rich foods consumed per day, the risk of developing diabetes decreased by 6%. Specifically, higher intakes of black or green tea, berries, and apples were linked to a 21%, 15%, and 12% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, respectively.

The findings revealed that flavonoid-rich foods can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by regulating obesity, glucose metabolism, inflammation, kidney function, and liver function.

Reference: Thompson AS. 2024. Higher habitual intakes of flavonoids and flavonoid-rich foods are associated with a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes in the UK Biobank cohort. Nutrition & Diabetes. DOI: 10.1038/s41387-024-00288-

In a recent study published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition, researchers investigated the associations between mother-consumed docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements and offspring obesity outcomes.

Childhood obesity is a serious health issue where kids weigh much more than they should for their age (BMI > 95th percentile). It's becoming more common.

Studies have shown that the first 1,000 days after birth are crucial because babies' fat cells grow quickly during this time, affecting their weight later on. Some research suggests that taking certain supplements during pregnancy can help prevent childhood obesity.

One area scientist are looking into is polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). When pregnant moms take DHA, it might reduce their babies' fat mass by stopping certain cells from becoming fat cells.

In this study, scientists conducted a randomized, controlled, double-blinded study to investigate if giving pregnant women extra DHA supplements could lower the chances of their babies gaining too much fat because of increased weight gain during pregnancy.

They explored if taking different amounts of DHA during pregnancy (1000 mg/day versus 200 mg/day) would change the weight gain during pregnancy and affect the amount of fat in the babies at 24 months old. They also looked at whether these effects were different for boys and girls. They measured the weight and height of the mothers at the start of the study, and regularly took blood samples to check the levels of different fatty acids.

Out of the 250 pregnant women in the study, 124 were given a low dose of DHA supplements (200 mg/day), while the rest received a higher dose (1000 mg/day). Nearly all of the participants (90.9%) followed their treatment plans well.

The results showed that babies born to mothers who received the high dose of DHA had more total fat mass compared to those whose mothers received the low dose. Moreover, babies in the high-dose group had notably more fat around their central areas, while other fat measurements remained similar between the two groups.

The findings stayed the same throughout the entire 24-month study, supporting previous research that prenatal supplements can help with baby health. However, more research is needed to confirm how these results might affect children.

Reference: Hull, H. R., Brown, A., Gajewski, B., Sullivan, D. K., & Carlson, S. E. (2024). The effect of prenatal DHA supplementation on offspring fat mass and distribution at 24 months old. In Current Developments in Nutrition (p. 103771). Elsevier BV, DOI – 10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.103771,