Dr. Brad Younggren
Mar 26, 2025
Circulate CEO Dr. Brad Younggren's Op-Ed published in Healthcare Business Today
Aging is the primary risk factor for most chronic diseases, driving over 90% of U.S. healthcare expenditures. However, emerging science suggests that aging itself can be targeted as a modifiable process. Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is a promising intervention that removes harmful substances from the bloodstream, reducing inflammation, disease burden, and potentially reversing aspects of biological aging. Circulate Health is pioneering this space, with clinical trial data demonstrating reductions in key biomarkers of biological age. Beyond its longevity benefits, recent findings suggest TPE may help reduce microplastics and other environmental toxins—offering a practical, scalable approach to mitigating modern health threats.
The Pervasiveness of Microplastics
Microplastics—tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size—are everywhere. They have been found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we consume. Recent studies have detected microplastics in human blood, with particles present in nearly 80% of tested individuals. Alarmingly, microplastics have also been found in vital organs, including the lungs, liver, and even the placenta, raising significant concerns about their impact on long-term health.
Health Risks of Microplastic Contamination
While research on microplastics’ direct health effects is still evolving, existing studies suggest troubling implications:
Cellular Damage: Laboratory research indicates that microplastics can cause oxidative stress, cellular inflammation, and even cell death.
Hormonal Disruption: Many plastics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which can interfere with hormone regulation and have been linked to reproductive and metabolic disorders.
Chronic Disease Risks: Microplastics can carry heavy metals and other toxic chemicals, increasing the risk of cancers, metabolic diseases, and immune dysfunction.
How Microplastics Enter Our Bodies
The routes of human exposure to microplastics are numerous and difficult to avoid:
Ingestion: Contaminated food and water are major sources. Microplastics have been found in seafood, table salt, fruits, vegetables, and even bottled water.
Inhalation: Microplastics are airborne, present in household dust and industrial emissions, making their way into the respiratory system.
Dermal Contact: Although less significant than ingestion or inhalation, personal care products and synthetic clothing contribute to skin exposure.
No Easy Solution—Until Now?
Despite growing awareness, eliminating microplastic exposure from daily life is nearly impossible without extreme lifestyle changes. Filtering water, avoiding plastic-packaged foods, and reducing synthetic fabric use can help but are not foolproof.
Currently, no widely available medical treatments effectively remove microplastics from the body—this is where Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) presents a potential breakthrough.
TPE as a Microplastic Detoxification Strategy
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is a medical procedure that removes a portion of plasma (the liquid component of blood) and replaces it with a substitute. This process is already used for autoimmune disorders and other medical conditions, but new research suggests that it may also help remove environmental toxins, including microplastics.
How TPE Works Against Microplastics:
Plasma Filtration: By removing plasma, TPE reduces the circulating burden of microplastics and associated toxins.
Reduction of Inflammatory Burden: Since microplastics contribute to systemic inflammation, their removal through TPE may help mitigate associated health risks.
Circulate Health’s Clinical Research: While Circulate has already demonstrated the benefit of TPE in reducing circulating biomarkers of biological aging, ongoing trials are investigating its effectiveness in microplastic removal.
Looking Ahead: A Scalable Approach to Microplastic Detox
Given the overwhelming prevalence of microplastics in the environment, solutions must be both effective and accessible. TPE represents a cutting-edge medical intervention that may provide a practical method for reducing microplastic burden in the human body. As clinical research continues, Circulate Health is at the forefront of exploring TPE’s potential as a detoxification strategy, offering hope for mitigating the long-term health effects of environmental pollution.
Conclusion
Microplastics are an invisible yet pervasive health threat, infiltrating our bodies through food, water, air, and everyday products. While reducing exposure is difficult, Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) offers a potential solution for actively removing these harmful particles from the bloodstream. With Circulate Health leading the charge in clinical research, TPE could become a powerful tool in the fight against microplastic contamination, providing individuals with a proactive way to safeguard their health against the unseen dangers of modern living.