Heart Disease and Stroke: Why Who What and How

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Heart Disease and Stroke Why? Who? What? and How?

• Emily Carlson
• Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program
• Utah Department of Health

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Who Am I? Who Are You? Why Are We Here?
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Outline of Presentation

• Why does Heart Disease and Stroke Matter to you?
• Who can help lower the risks of Heart Disease and
  Stroke for Your employees ?
• What Can You Do Now?
• How Do You Start?

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Why does Heart Disease and Stroke Matter to you?
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CAUSES of DEATHUTAH 2004
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Your Employees Hearts

• About 1 in 4 Americans have a cardiovascular
  condition.
• Heart disease and stroke-related costs in the
  United States for 2005 are estimated at 393
  billion, and are expected to continue to rise.
• American Heart Association. Heart disease and
  stroke statistics 2005 update. Dallas, TX 2005

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Why Hearts Matter

• In an analysis of insurance claims of about 4
  million individuals from large U.S. companies,
  annual average payments for heart related claims
  were 4,639 per patient, more than double the
  average payment of 2,230 for all conditions
  examined!
• Goetzel, Journal of Occupational and
  Environmental Medicine, 45(1), 5-14, 1999.

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Risk Factors You Cant Change

• Age People over 55 are at greater risk of a
  stroke
• Gender Men of any age, and postmenopausal women,
  have a greater risk.
• Family History Heart disease tends to run in
  families and is more common among African
  Americans and Hispanics
• Medical history Past history of heart problems
  or strokes

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Risk Factors You Can Change

• High cholesterol
• (24.9 of adults in Utah)
• High Blood Pressure (hypertension)
• (21.9 of adults in Utah)
• Smoking
• (11.2 of adults in Utah)

• Diabetes (uncontrolled)
• (6.5 of adults in Utah have Diabetes)
• Physical Inactivity
• (46.2 of adults in Utah)
• Overweight or Obesity
• (58.2  of adults in Utah)

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Other Contributing Factors

• Birth control pills
• Alcohol
• Metabolic syndrome
• Stress

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Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack

• Chest discomfort- uncomfortable pressure,
  squeezing, fullness or pain.   
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body- pain
  or discomfort in one or both arms, the back,
  neck, jaw or stomach.   
• Shortness of breath
• Other signs- breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea
  or lightheadedness       

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Signs and Symptoms of a Stroke

• Sudden numbness or weakness especially on one
  side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or
  understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, or dizziness
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

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Their Hearts, Your Bottom Line

• Heart disease and stroke represent major costs to
  employers, including premature disability.
• Employees with multiple risk factors, for heart
  disease and stroke - such as high blood pressure,
  high cholesterol, and smoking - are costly to
  employers.American Heart Association. Heart
  disease and stroke statistics 2005 update.
  Dallas, TX 2005

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Who can help lower the risks of Heart Disease and
Stroke for Your employees ?
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Examples of National Promising Worksite Programs

• Highsmith
• Fieldale Farms
• Duke University
• Johnson Johnson

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Examples of Local Promising Worksite Programs

• Owners Resorts and Exchange
• Cream O Weber
• Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center
• WesTech Engineering

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What Can You Do Now?
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A comprehensive worksite program includes

• Sustained individualized risk-reduction
  counseling
• Lower-cost policy and environmental interventions
  
• ..may be most effective to support
  healthy lifestyles and prevent heart disease and
  stroke Pelletier K, Am JOEM, 1997,
  vol 29(12)1154-1169
• Heaney C. Goetzel RA. AJHP,
  199711290-307

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Plant-wide Policy and Environmental Interventions

• Smoke-free policiesand tobacco cessation
  services
• Health education classes and support groups with
  individual goal setting
• Low-cost nutritious food in cafeterias and snack
  barspoint-of-purchase information
• Places for physical activitymarked walking
  paths, signage to encourage stair use, health
  clubs/gyms

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Plant-wide Policy and Environmental Interventions

• Wellness messages-warning signs and symptoms of
  heart attack and stroke, and when to call 9-1-1
• Incentives to engage in healthy behavior
• Blood pressure monitors, CPR classes, Automated
  external defibrillators

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How Do You Start?
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Six Steps

• Recognize costs
• Discover savings
• Learn from others
• Improve heart disease and stroke prevention at
  the worksite
• Work with your Health Plan
• Establish partnerships

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Work With Your Health Plan

• You can negotiate with your health plan,
  regardless of your size to ensure coverage of
  preventive services, and provision of quality
  care
• What can the health plan offer to your company?
• How can they support your heart disease and
  stroke prevention program?
• How can you create a health benefits package to
  meet the needs of your employees?

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Establish Partnerships

• Partners can provide resources and solutions, and
  share their strengths and success stories
• Who are the partners in your area?

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Resources Available from HDSPP

• www.hearthighway.org
• Signs, Symptoms and Risk Factors of Stroke
  Educational Campaign
• Information on AEDs and trainings
• Insurance Evaluation
• Lunch and Learn Class outlines
• www.UtahWalks.org
• 1-866-88-STROKE

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Resources available from The Tobacco Prevention
and Control Program

• Utah Tobacco Quit Line 1-888-567-TRUTH
• Utah QuitNet www.utahquitnet.com
• Materials (posters, brochures, etc.)
• TPCP Website www.tobaccofreeutah.org

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Other Bureau Contacts

• Tobacco
• Marci Nelson
• [phone]
• marcinelson_at_utah.gov
• Diabetes
• [phone]
• http//health.utah.gov/diabetes/

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Good Samaritan Act

• A person who renders emergency care at or near
  the scene of, or during an emergency,
  gratuitously and in good faith, is not liable for
  any civil damages or penalties as a result of any
  act or omission by the person rendering the
  emergency care, unless the person is grossly
  negligent or caused the emergency.

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My Contact Information

• Emily Carlson
• Phone [phone]
• emilycarlson_at_utah.gov

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Thank You!!