Top doctor reveals hidden toxin in pills taken by millions daily linked to sudden heart attacks

A top heart doctor has revealed the insidious chemical in medicine capsules that could increase your risk of a heart attack.

Dr Evan Levine, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai in New York, told the Daily Mail that phthalates - chemicals used to make plastics more flexible - in soft gel capsules could have damaging effects.

Sometimes called plasticizers, phthalates make plastics soft, flexible and more durable, allowing them to be molded into different shapes and withstand a variety of conditions.

Research shows once in the body, the chemical compound irritate the arteries and causes inflammation which makes it hard for blood to flow to and from the heart.

In medicine, they are often used in soft gel capsules, a type of oral pill in which the active drug is encased in a soft, gelatinous shell.

Dr Levine is urging people to limit the amount of soft gel capsules they take. They are commonly used for pain relievers, multivitamins, stool softeners, and cough and cold medications.

While it remains unknown how many Americans take such capsules, the US soft gel capsules market was valued at $2.14 billion in 2022.

He told this website: 'Phthalates [can] increase inflammation and an important risk for heart disease.'

A 2021 Environmental Pollution study found phthalate exposure was associated with a slightly higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

The scientists analyzed the urine samples of 5,300 adults between the ages of 55 to 64 years old from 2001 to 2010 and tracked causes of death among.

Results showed among the 100,000 people who died during the study period, the ones with higher levels of phthalates in their urine were more likely to have died from heart disease.

The scientists noted further research is needed to understand the exact ink between phthalate exposure and heart problems.

However, according to Dr Levine, exposure to phthalates - especially through pills - can cause swelling and irritation in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, which can lead them to narrow or harden, potentially causing blockages or aneurysms - ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel.

It is usually caused by the buildup of cholesterol and other substances, forming plaques, along the artery walls, but excessive intake of phthalates can also lead to this inflammation.

Experts claim the chemicals also cause oxidative stress, a type of cell and tissue damage caused by an imbalance of molecules in the body.

This can lead to damage in the heart cells, which can impair their function and contribute to inflammation, as well harden artery walls - increasing the risk for a heart attack.

Additionally, phthalates can negatively impact cholesterol levels and potentially increase levels of triglycerides - a type of fat known to cause heart attacks - and low-density lipoproteins in the organ - making a person more susceptible to strokes and heart disease.