Heart Disease
January 25, 2008
Overview
The month of February is devoted to matters of the heart. In addition to Valentine's Day, February is known as American Heart Month, an entire month dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.1 It is also a major cause of disability.1 Approximately 30% of all deaths in the United States are attributable to heart disease, and about 700,000 people die every year as a result of a heart problem.1
Risk Factors
The term "heart disease" refers to conditions that affect the heart and the blood vessels in the heart. The most common form of heart disease is coronary artery disease, which often leads to heart attacks.2 Modifying, treating, or controlling the following factors can reduce the risk of heart disease3:
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Tobacco use
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical inactivity
- Obesity/Overweight
- Alcohol misuse
The Cost of Heart Disease
Heart disease results in substantial healthcare expenditures and is the most costly chronic disease to treat.4 Coronary artery disease alone was projected to cost $151.6 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2007.1
Employer Action
To address heart disease, employers can:
- Encourage the use of clinical preventive services by either covering benefits in full or with a nominal copayment.5, 6
- Provide employees with educational materials, such as factsheets on heart disease.
- Provide smoking cessation benefits for employees.
- Make sure that workplace dining facilities offer healthy, well-balanced meals. If employers provide subsidies, employers should only subsidize healthy options (vs. an across-the-board cafeteria subsidy).
- Promote healthy lifestyles by offering incentives for using a health club, participating in a weight management or exercise program, or the purchase and use of home exercise equipment.
Additional Resources
For more information on the steps that employers can take to reduce heart disease visit:
Successful Business Strategies to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke Toolkit (CDC) and Cardiovascular Disease (National Business Group on Health)
For more information about chronic disease prevention visit: Disease Management (National Business Group on Health)
For more information about health coverage of preventive services visit: A Purchaser's Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Moving Science into Coverage (National Business Group on Health)
Citations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of Heart Disease — United States, 2005. MMWR. 2007:56(06);113-118
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease//. Accessed January 9, 2008
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease Risk Factors. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/risk_factors.htm. Accessed January 9, 2007.
- Goetzel et al, Health, Absence, Disability, and Presenteeism Cost Estimates of Certain Physical and Mental conditions affecting US employees, JOEM, 2004; 46:398-412.
- Kraczkowsky K. Center for Prevention and Health Services. Preventing Chronic Disease in the United States and Abroad. Washington, DC: National Business Group on Health; 2006.
- Campbell KP, Lanza A, Dixon R, Chattopadhyay S, Molinari S, Finch RA, editors. A Purchasers Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Moving Science into Coverage. Washington, DC: National Business Group on Health; 2006.
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