• Traffic-related air pollution was associated with a significant increase in blood pressure among car passengers, a study finds.
• Researchers report that the blood pressure increase is on par with other cardiovascular risk factors such as lack of exercise or excessive salt intake.
• Experts note that cabin air filters and other filtration devices, including masks, can lower exposure to dangerous air pollution particles.

People wearing masks while driving alone in their cars may not be so foolish after all.

The N95 masksTrusted Source used to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 might also filter out highway air pollution that a new study says can cause a serious and sustained spike in blood pressure.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reports that riding in automobiles and breathing unfiltered air was associated with a 4.5 mm Hg increase in blood pressure.

The blood pressure increase from exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) was found to peak within 60 minutes and persist for up to 24 hours, according to researchers from the University of Washington.

Can blood pressure spike for a few days?

Dr. John Higgins, a sports cardiologist at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston who was not involved in the study, told MNT the study findings suggest that daily commuters breathing unfiltered highway air pollution could be experiencing dangerously elevated blood pressure throughout the workweek and perhaps even more if they drive on the weekends as well.

Read more: medicalnewstoday.com

Photo: medicalnewstoday.com