• Posted April 29, 2025

Phthalates Linked To Heart Disease Deaths Globally

Chemicals commonly used in plastics appear to increase people’s risk of heart disease, a new study says.

Daily exposure to just one type of phthalate could be linked to more than 365,000 deaths worldwide from heart disease in 2018 alone, researchers reported today in the journal The Lancet.

“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,” lead researcher Sara Hyman, an associate research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a news release.

Phthalates are commonly used in a wide range of plastics and personal care products, and have previously been shown to disrupt human hormones and potentially increase people’s risk of chronic diseases like allergies, asthma, obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

For this study, researchers focused on one phthalate called di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which is used to make food containers and medical equipment, and to make other plastic softer and more flexible.

The research team analyzed worldwide data from dozens of previous studies to estimate DEHP exposure across 200 countries and territories. Exposure to the phthalate was estimated using urine samples containing byproducts resulting from breakdown of the plastic additive.

Comparing DEHP levels to heart statistics, researchers estimated that the phthalate contributed to more than 13% of global deaths from heart disease in 2018 among men and women 55 through 64.

That adds up to 356,238 heart disease deaths in 2018, researchers said.

Among countries, India, Pakistan and Egypt had the highest death counts, researchers said.

“There is a clear disparity in which parts of the world bear the brunt of heightened heart risks from phthalates,” senior researcher Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a news release.

India has a rapidly expanding plastics industry, researchers also noted.

“Our results underscore the urgent need for global regulations to reduce exposure to these toxins, especially in areas most affected by rapid industrialization and plastic consumption,” Trasande added.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on phthalates.

SOURCE: NYU Langone Health, news release, April 29, 2025