Articles and Studies

"Squeezing the [Zona Plus] grip for a few minutes a day has been shown to lower blood pressure as much as a first-line anti-hypertension drug."
Harvard Heart Letter, December 2006

“From this study, it is evident that regular isometric handgrip training can be a useful tool in the treatment of hypertension in a family practice environment. With the recent advances in miniaturization and electronic devices it is now possible to prescribe this therapy for home use.”
Geisberg, H. Brief Report: Regular Isometric Handgrip Training Lowers and Controls Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients: 4 One Year Cases. Anderson, S.C., USA. Please call to request copy.

“Isometric exercise training has been shown to reduce resting blood pressure”
Howden, Reuben, Lightfoot, Timothy J., Brown, Stephen J., and Swaine, Ian L. The effects of isometric exercise training on resting blood pressure and orthostatic tolerance in humans. The Physiological Society. 2001;87.4, 506-515.

“…improves local dysfunctional endothelium [a possible precursor to cardiovascular risks] in persons medicated for hypertension…”
McGowan, Cheri L. et al. Acute vascular responses to isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise and the effects of training in persons medicated for hypertension. American Physiological Society,2006: 1-29.

“Systolic BP was significantly reduced following 8 weeks…of training…”
“…could be an important addition to the pharmacologic management of hypertension…”
“…may potentially reduce stroke, coronary artery disease and mortality.”
McGowan, Cheri L. et al. Isometric handgrip training improves local flow-mediated dilation in medicated hypertensives. European Journal of Appl Physiol. 2006 Nov;98(4):355-62.

“IHG [Isometric Handgrip Training] training improves systolic BP and endothelial function in persons medicated for hypertension.…”
McGowan, C., Visocchi, A., Faulkner, M., Rakobowchuk, M., McCartney, N., MacDonald, M. Isometric handgrip Training Improves Blood Pressure and Endothelial Function in Persons Medicated for Hypertension. Kinesiology, McMaster University, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada. 2004: 15. APS Intersociety Meeting- Abstracts of Invited and Contributed Presentaitons October 2004, number 6.3.

“One promising treatment, currently being explored, is isometric hand grip exercise training (IHG). This review offers a brief introduction to isometric hand grip training and its relevance as a non-pharmacological, antihypertensive treatment alternative.”
Millar, Philip J. (2008). Isometric Handgrip Training: A Natural Hypertensive Therapy. Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine. 2008.

“IHG training lowers resting blood pressure among persons medicated for hypertension.”
Millar, Philip J. et al. Effects of isometric handgrip training among people medicated for hypertension: a multilevel analysis. Blood Pressure Monitoring. 2007: 12(5), 307-314.

“These results suggest improvements in acute cardiac autonomic modulation following a single bout of IHG [isometric handgrip training]. This may be mechanistically linked to the observed reductions in ABP seen in previous IHG training studies.”
Millar, Philip J., MacDonald M., Bray S., McCartney N. Isometric handgrip exercise improves acute neurocardiac regulation. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2009 Aug 13.

“…results indicate that six weeks of IET was associated with a significant decrease in systolic [blood pressure]…”
Peters, P., Alessio, H., Hagerman, A., Ashton, T., Nagy, S., & Wiley, R. Short-term isometric exercise reduces systolic blood pressure in hypertensive adults: Possible role of reactive oxygen species (R1). International Journal of Cardiology. 2005;110(2):199-205.

“…can be performed quickly, easily and in any location.”
“…may be an effective non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. ”
Ray, C.A. & Carrasco, D. Isometric handgrip training reduces arterial pressure at rest without changes in sympathetic nerve activity. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2000; 279: 245-249.

“…could be a useful adjunct to the pharmacological treatment of hypertension.”
“…decreases of 19mmHg and 7mmHg, respectively…”
“…[reduction] of resting blood pressure in these older individuals, most of whom were already managed using antihypertensive medications. ”
Taylor, A.C., McCartney, N., Kamath, M., & Wiley, R. Isometric Training Lowers Resting Blood Pressure and Modulates Autonomic Control. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2003; 35(2), 251-256.

“…systolic blood pressure decreased significantly…”
Visocchi, A., McGowan, C., Faulkner, M., Verduyn, R., McCartney, N., & MacDonald, M. The Effect of Isometric Arm or Leg Exercise on Resting Blood Pressure and Arterial Distensibility in Persons Medicated for Hypertension. Kinesiology, McMaster University, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada. 2006: 8. APS Intersociety Meeting- Abstracts of Invited and Contributed Presentaitons October 2004, number 4.17.

“…leads to a gradual and significant reduction in resting blood pressure… ”
Wiley, R.L., Dunn, C.L., Cox, R.H., Hueppchen, N.A., & Scott, M.S. Isometric exercise training lowers resting blood pressure. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 1992;24(7):749-754.