Filtering Your Indoor Air Helps Lower Your Blood Pressure, Study Finds

The air inside and outside your home often contains invisible pollutants, including fine particles and gases from traffic, industry, and household items, which accumulate in the spaces where you spend the most time Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in particular, which is about 30 times smaller than a human hair, penetrates deeply into your lungs and bloodstream, where it contributes to cardiovascular strain and disease A large, randomized crossover trial published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that using HEPA air filters indoors significantly lowered PM2.5 exposure and reduced systolic blood pressure Research links long-term air pollution to many serious health risks beyond heart disease, including respiratory illnesses, lung cancer, impaired childhood development, heightened infection rates, and neurological conditions Aside from installing HEPA filtration systems at home, other strategies to reduce your exposure to air pollutants include switching to nontoxic household products, ventilating wisely, filtering water, and reducing outdoor exposure on polluted days