We’ve all seen the statistics – every hour, five Australians die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and survivors are often faced with long term health issues.
The calculating of absolute cardiovascular disease risk, or CVD risk is an approach that makes preventing heart attack and stroke easier.
The results, while not a guarantee of your continued heart health, will provide you with a general indication of your likelihood of experiencing a heart attack or stoke within the next five years.
So how is your CVD risk calculated?
CVD risk is calculated based on the Framingham Risk Equation.
This equation is derived from the Framingham Heart Study. This is an ongoing study that started in 1948 with the aim to identify common factors and characteristics that contribute to heart disease.
There is a calculator available online here that asks you just 8 questions.
This information, combined with key biometric data such as cholesterol, blood pressure and other known risks like diet, sleep and mental health, is used to calculate your absolute CVD risk score.
But what’s this got to do with your business?
Well of course, a healthy workforce is better for your morale and productivity.
A heart check can be conducted onsite and takes just a small amount of time per participant.
Apart from the obvious benefit of employees that are more aware of their own health risk factors, it may encourage some who wouldn’t otherwise have done so, to seek out their doctor and take appropriate action.
Ask us about heart health checks for your workplace, including those with the CVD Risk calculation.
