Srinagar, April 29 -- A new study published in The Lancet eBiomedicine has found that daily exposure to certain chemicals used in plastics-especially in food containers and medical equipment-may be contributing significantly to the global rise in heart disease-related deaths.

Researchers from New York University Langone Health focused on di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), a common type of phthalate used to soften plastics. DEHP is found in numerous household and industrial products including food packaging, medical tubing, cosmetics, detergents, and even plastic pipes.

The study estimated that DEHP exposure was responsible for over 356,000 deaths from heart disease globally in 2018 alone, particularly among individuals aged 55 to 64. Tha...