A 2025 study in Frontiers in Nutrition by Wen et al. found that low handgrip strength (HGS) and low relative handgrip strength (RHGS) were strongly linked to increased odds and risk of asthma—by up to 50% for those at the lowest quartile of grip strength.

A 2025 clinical study found that over half of carotid artery plaques removed during surgery contained microplastics—and their presence was linked to a fourfold increase in the risk of heart attacks, strokes, or death.