| If you would like to control your high blood | | | | For maximum benefit from this blood pressure |
| pressure or keep your normal readings from | | | | lowering technique, one needs five 12-minute |
| inching up in the coming years, there are | | | | sessions per week. This can be easily fit into |
| alternatives to costly drugs with their unpleasant | | | | anyone's schedule by squeezing the Zona Plus |
| side effects. We will focus mainly on the pros and | | | | while reading or watching TV. It does take about |
| cons of one such drug-free solution, but first a | | | | four or five weeks to see results, and maximum |
| little background is in order. | | | | benefits accrue at six to eight weeks. If you stop |
| High blood pressure affects about one in three | | | | the therapy sessions, however, your BP reverts |
| adult Americans, many of whom don't even know | | | | to its old ways, but the same can be true when |
| they have it, and, according to the CDC (Centers | | | | one discontinues his medications. |
| for Disease Control), "... about 90% of middle-aged | | | | This computerized device evaluates your grip |
| adults will develop high blood pressure in the | | | | strength and establishes, and then monitors, how |
| remainder of their lifetimes." This is a condition we | | | | much pressure one needs to exert to get optimal |
| might want to avoid or control since it greatly | | | | results, alerting the user when he is squeezing too |
| increases our risk of suffering a stroke, heart | | | | easily or too hard. Of course, you could squeeze |
| attack, kidney failure, aortic aneurysm among | | | | a tennis ball instead, if you don't mind guessing at |
| other devastating conditions/events. Hypertension | | | | the right amount of pressure to apply, and are |
| is also very costly dollar-wise in that the CDC | | | | the type that doesn't need all the bells and |
| estimates that the direct and indirect price tag of | | | | whistles of the computer age. |
| HBP in the U.S. alone in 2009 was $73.4 Billion. | | | | The downside of the Zona Plus is that it comes |
| Upon doing some personal investigation, we found | | | | with a hefty price tag, almost $400. Keep in mind, |
| that just 30 10-20mg tablets of a leading | | | | however, that this is a one-time investment, |
| hypertension medication cost $98.33 (discounted) | | | | whereas medications are a monthly expense that |
| online. | | | | add up very quickly. There is a generous 60-day |
| There are, however, ways to lower your blood | | | | guarantee which allows you time to see if it really |
| pressure or to keep it in check without expensive | | | | works for you -- it is reported to be effective for |
| and risky drugs, or to at least lessen the amount | | | | over 90% of users. Our advice is: If you decide |
| of medication one requires. One such alternative | | | | to make this investment in your health, do read |
| treatment is the Zona Plus -- a portable hand-held | | | | the "fine print" in the guarantee, as there are |
| computer-controlled device. This is a gadget you | | | | several hoops you must jump through to get |
| squeeze with your hands to lower your BP | | | | your money back. |
| through an isometric contraction of your forearm | | | | Of course the Zona Plus is not the only |
| muscles. This hypertension-relief technique was | | | | alternative to costly drugs with their risky and |
| discovered accidentally by the Air Force in the | | | | unpleasant side effects. Here are a few others: |
| 1960s. They were looking for a solution to the | | | | - RESPeRATE is an electronic apparatus that |
| G-force blackouts recurring in their F-16 pilots and | | | | guides the user into slow/deep BP-lowering |
| found that by squeezing a specially-designed | | | | breathing (about $300) |
| instrument, the pilots improved blood flow to their | | | | - emWave is a portable computerized |
| brains and hence avoided the disastrous blackouts. | | | | Biofeedback device for anxiety reduction (i.e., BP |
| As a bonus, they discovered that it also lowered | | | | reduction, too -- under $200) |
| their blood pressure. | | | | - Pressure Perfect program combines paced |
| An entrepreneur, hearing of this, developed the | | | | breathing exercises with the hand-grip isometric |
| Zona Plus so that average, non-military folks can | | | | exercises of the Zona Plus (just under $50) |
| benefit from this unique BP-lowering system. This | | | | - The Dash Diet combined with low-salt intake |
| device/BP-lowering technique has had more than | | | | (cost of change in diet) |
| 10 peer-reviewed studies and articles published in | | | | - Losing five or ten percent of your body weight |
| scientific and medical journals. It has had favorable | | | | (if overweight) and keeping it off (cost -- nothing |
| reviews, according to the Zona-Plus folks, in the | | | | to?) |
| Harvard Health Letter and the Berkeley Wellness | | | | Always, of course, check with your doctor before |
| Letter. According to one Harvard M.D., "squeezing | | | | discontinuing any prescribed medications, making |
| grip for a few minutes a day lowers bp as much | | | | any lifestyle changes or when trying any BP |
| as first-line antihypertension drugs." Clinical studies | | | | lowering alternatives while on your medications. |
| have shown that three to four 12-minute sessions | | | | There you have it, the Zona Plus alternative to |
| a week of squeezing the Zona Plus was more | | | | lowering your blood pressure without risky and |
| effective at lowering BP than 30 minutes of | | | | costly drugs, plus a few other options thrown in |
| vigorous aerobic exercise performed three times | | | | for good measure. High blood pressure is nothing |
| a week. Even Mens Health magazine (Jan/Feb | | | | to ignore and if you don't like the idea of being |
| 2010) gave it thumbs up, reporting that editor | | | | dependent on BP medications for the rest of your |
| Peter Moore dropped his systolic BP 18 points and | | | | life, now you know there are options -- and Zona |
| his diastolic 4 points after using the Zona Plus | | | | Plus might just be the one for you. |
| regularly for three months. | | | | |