HEPA air filters' latest advantage is lowering blood pressure, study finds

People whose homes are near busy highways may be able to reduce their blood pressure by running an air purifier with a HEPA filter, a study found

People whose homes are near busy highways may be able to reduce their blood pressure by running an air purifier with a HEPA filter, a study found.

Just a month of air filter use cut systolic blood pressure by nearly 3 points in healthy adults who had slightly elevated blood pressure, according to the report published Wednesday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Doug Brugge, the study's lead author and professor and chair of the department of public health sciences at UConn Health in Farmington, acknowledged that 3 points may sound like a small reduction.

“But the medical literature shows that even at that magnitude there can be a meaningful benefit in terms of reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular outcomes, such as heart attack and stroke,” he said.

Nearly a quarter of Americans live near busy roadways, according to the new research. People may not realize they’re being exposed to traffic-related air pollution because it’s invisible, odorless and can be easily missed, Brugge said. Yet high levels of the tiniest particles found in traffic-related air pollution are known risk factors for developing high blood pressure and heart disease.