Keeping your blood pressure within a healthy range isn’t just essential for your long-term cardiovascular health, but is also beneficial for your brain, too. Typically, the best way to get things under control is with diet and exercise. But now, scientists say they’ve found that running an air purifier with a HEPA filter at home can go a long way in reducing your blood pressure.
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A new study looked at the connection between air pollution and blood pressure.
The latest research comes from a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. A team of researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine organized 154 participants with an average age of 41, who lived near major roads or highways.
The group had a mean baseline blood pressure of 118.8/76.5 mmHg at the outset of the study. For reference, “Your blood pressure is high when you have consistent systolic readings of 130 mm Hg or higher, or diastolic readings of 80 mm Hg or higher,” explains the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
The researchers set each participant up with either a high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filter or a “sham” version of the device in their homes. They took each participant’s blood pressure and waited a full month before reading it again. The team then instituted another month-long “washout” period during which the devices were removed completely before repeating another month with the opposite device from their first cycle, so that each participant was able to experience both.
HEPA filters helped “significantly reduce” blood pressure.
At the end of the three months, researchers analyzed any changes in blood pressure among the participants. Results found that there was a 2.8 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure (SBP) following the month they had a true HEPA filter running in their homes.
On the other hand, the team recorded a slight increase in SBP in the wake of running the “sham” filters of 0.2 mmHg. In both cases, there were no significant changes in diastolic blood pressure. Given the two figures, the team concluded that using a HEPA filter provided a 3.0 mmHg difference.
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Air pollution could be a cardiovascular health risk.
Because the study’s participants resided close to major roadways, one of the most significant takeaways from the study is that the quality of our environment could potentially create health complications. It’s also far from the first study to suggest such a connection.
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in November 2023 looked at blood pressure data from 16 participants between the ages of 22 and 45. The group was instructed to drive in traffic in Seattle for three days. The first two days, unfiltered air was allowed into the car. On the third, researchers installed a HEPA filter to scrub the air, most notably removing dangerous PM 2.5 particles that are a part of air pollution.
All participants had their blood pressure recorded every 24 hours during the study. Results found that participants had a 4.5 mmHg increase in their readings when breathing the unfiltered air, with the spike lasting for up to 24 hours. Experts said the findings weren’t surprising.
“PM 2.5 particles can get through the lining of blood vessels and into the circulatory system, affecting the heart and vascular tone, including arterial stiffness,” Loren Wold, PhD, a researcher and professor at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and an expert on the cardiovascular effects of air pollution, told MedicalNewsToday. “That’s what causes elevated blood pressure.”
Here’s what the results could mean for you.
The UConn researchers admitted there were a few limitations to their study, including the fact that the participant pool lacked socioeconomic diversity or people taking blood pressure medication. But even though the use of a HEPA filter appeared to only lead to a slight drop in participants’ readings, it was still significant.
“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,” Douglas Brugge, PhD, the study’s lead author and chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at UConn Health, told NBC News.
The team also said their findings warrant further research.
“Overwhelming evidence shows the harmful health effects of PM2.5 exposure, even at levels below current U.S. standards,” Jonathan Newman, MD, an associate professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, wrote in an editorial comment accompanying the study. “As healthcare professionals, we must educate the public and support policies that protect clean air and improve the health of all Americans.”
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The takeaway.
A new study found that using a HEPA filter could help lower your blood pressure. Researchers found that participants (who lived near busy roads or highways) who had one installed in their homes saw a 3.0 mmHg drop in their readings compared to when they had a “sham” filter installed in their house.
“High blood pressure remains one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” Brugge said in a press release. “This research adds to growing evidence that simple interventions, like in-home air filtration, may help improve heart health for people at risk.”
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