United States: A new study demonstrates how cardiovascular mortality from exposure to manufacturing chemicals in daily home plastics reached 356,000 deaths in 2018.
Research demonstrates how phthalates exist globally in products especially in Middle Eastern countries South Asian and East Asian and Pacific regions responsible for 75 percent of documented deaths during 2018, as reported by The Hills.
The Culprit: Phthalates and DEHP
The study results from New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine join the mounting evidence which demonstrates that these chemicals bear significant risks for human health according to lead author Sara Hyman an associate research scientist in the institution’s statement.
Research shows that phthalates used in personal care items and children’s toys and food packing materials exhibit hormone-blocking properties which contribute to developmental disorders and effects related to infertility together with learning difficulties and neurological conditions.
The research from NYU Langone Health examined di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), as this phthalate creates flexible characteristics in food containers and medical devices.
⚠️ WARNING: Chemicals in Food Packaging, IV Bags Linked to 356,000 Deaths a Year From Heart Disease
— Children’s Health Defense (@ChildrensHD) April 29, 2025
“If we reduce DEHP I’m not convinced you’ll reduce this mortality. But if you reduced plastic use or phthalates as a class, you would.” — Dr. Leonardo Trasande… pic.twitter.com/Wn1N5cz6wq
Experiments already demonstrated how DEHP exposure creates an unhealthy immune reaction in heart artery tissue that leads to elevated stroke and heart attack possibilities.
Global Toll: Where the Deaths Occurred
Year 2018 research showed that DEHP exposure caused 356,238 deaths worldwide which accounted for 13.5 percent of all heart disease deaths in people between ages 55 and 64.
Previous research by the team established that phthalates led to more than 50,000 per year premature deaths among American adults primarily affected by heart conditions.
The current study represents what may be the initial worldwide assessment of heart disease deaths associated with these environmental chemicals, according to Hyman.
Data and Methodology
The scientists extracted their findings by analyzing environmental data alongside population survey results obtained from 200 countries and territories through multiple health information sources. Some urine samples included chemical waste from DEHP degradation processes.
Daily exposure to chemicals used for many plastic household items, could be linked to more than 356,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease worldwide in 2018, according to a study published on Tuesday, April 29.
— PhilSTAR L!fe (@philstarlife) April 30, 2025
READ: https://t.co/wUEfyeO00T pic.twitter.com/JhX1obKIop
The researchers obtained mortality data from the Institute for Health and Evaluation, which serves as a U.S. research group that focuses on global public health trends.
The authors established that the combined mortality losses in South Asia and the Middle East and East Asia and the Pacific regions accounted for 42 percent and 31 percent of total deaths.
Statistics from the study indicated that India recorded the largest death toll of 103,587 casualties which outranked China and Indonesia, as reported by The Hills.
Higher exposure rates to toxic chemicals exist in these countries because they produce more plastic while maintaining fewer manufacturing regulations compared to neighboring regions.
“There is a clear disparity in which parts of the world bear the brunt of heightened heart risks from phthalates,” senior author Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics at NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine, said in a statement.
“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.