Cardiovacular Disease Affects Employers
Cardiovascular disease affects employers. There are many reasons to encourage healthy practices among the workforce. Over 7% of adults in Michigan have coronary heart disease.
Heart Disease Costs:
- 56 hours of productivity lost per year
- An average of 13 days lost per year
- Costs $1,000 more in insurance per year
- Heart failure costs $8,332 per person
Here are 10 ways you can reduce your chances of getting heart disease:
- Control your blood pressure. Take steps, including lifestyle changes, to prevent or control high blood pressure.
- Keep your cholesterol and triglyceride levels under control. High levels of cholesterol can clog your arteries and raise your risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack. Lifestyle changes and medicines (if needed) can lower your cholesterol. Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood. High levels of triglycerides may also raise the risk of coronary artery disease, especially in women.
- Stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight or having obesity can increase your risk for heart disease.
- Eat a healthy diet. Try to limit saturated fats, foods high in sodium, and added sugars. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Get regular exercise. Exercise has many benefits, including strengthening your heart and improving your circulation.
- Limit alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure. Men should have no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and women should not have more than one.
- Don’t smoke. Cigarette smoking raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attack and stroke.
- Manage stress. Stress is linked to heart disease in many ways. It can raise your blood pressure. Extreme stress can be a “trigger” for a heart attack.
- Manage diabetes. Having diabetes doubles your risk of diabetic heart disease. So, it is important to get tested for diabetes, and if you have it, to keep it under control.
- Make sure that you get enough sleep. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Make sure that you have good sleep habits. If you have frequent sleep problems, contact your health care provider.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides information on the prevention and treatment of heart disease and offers publications on heart health and heart disease. Here is a link to their great resource “Your Guide to a Healthy Heart”
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