Using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter may boost heart and vascular health in older nonsmokers by as much as 8 percent in just two days, says resent research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Danish and Swedish researchers found that filtered air was associated with improved vascular function among those studied. All were between the ages of 60 and 75. HEPA filters can remove up to 99.9 percent of some of the smallest airborne particles, measuring down to 0.3 micrometers—the most concerning particle-size because it easily penetrates into the cardiovascular system through the lungs.