Use of HEPA Filters Tied to Reduced Systolic BP

FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The use of in-home high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filters is associated with reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP) among individuals with elevated SBP, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Doug Brugge, Ph.D., from the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, and colleagues examined the efficacy of in-home air purifiers to reduce BP for adults living adjacent to highways in a pragmatic randomized crossover trial. Residences were randomized to start with one month of HEPA or sham filtration, followed by a one-month washout, and one month of the alternate filtration. At the start and end of each filtration period, participant questionnaire data and BP were collected.

A total of 154 participants were included in the analyses. The researchers found that compared with indoor sham and outdoor levels, HEPA filtration significantly reduced particulate matter. The efficacy of the intervention was moderated by participants” SBP at the start of the intervention. A significant 2.8-mm Hg mean decrease in SBP was seen after HEPA filtration compared with a 0.2-mm Hg increase after sham filtration among participants with elevated brachial SBP (≥120 mm Hg). No significant benefit was seen for diastolic BP or among participants with normal SBP.

“High blood pressure remains one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” Brugge said in a statement. “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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