The hidden costs of high cholesterol

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It’s time to talk about high cholesterol. While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider high-cost health issues among your employees, it plays a much larger role in their health than you might think.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance naturally produced in the liver and assists with cell function. Cholesterol isn’t all bad — as long as you don’t have more of it than your body actually needs. Genetics typically determine how much cholesterol the liver makes, but certain lifestyle behaviors — like an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, tobacco use and being overweight or obese — can lead to an excess of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol that causes fatty plaques to build up in arteries. That's where the trouble starts.

High cholesterol is linked to heart disease

According to WebMD^®, high cholesterol levels are linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and costs around $417.9 billion annually in lost productivity and medical expenses.

High cholesterol is often a silent condition, meaning it produces no obvious symptoms and can go easily unnoticed (and untreated) for decades. Research has shown that levels can start to increase in early childhood. And the longer someone has high cholesterol, the more at-risk they are for developing heart disease and other concerning conditions.

To make matters worse, about 86 million American adults over age 20 have total cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dL, putting them at borderline-high risk for heart disease. Just under one-third of this group (around 16 percent of the population) have levels higher than 240 mg/dL, putting them at high risk.

For employers, these health risks translate into business costs. Employees with multiple risk factors for heart disease are more likely to require medical care, miss work and experience reduced productivity than those with no risk factors. In fact, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that working-age adults with heart disease lose about $13,463 in annual labor income per person and about 80 working hours annually, reflecting economic and productivity implications for employers.

Because high cholesterol affects everyone — young, old, male or female — there’s no question that it’s affecting your workforce. Let’s talk about what you can do to help your employees keep their cholesterol levels in check, contribute to a happier, healthier workforce — and reduce your health care expenses.

Start here to help your employees manage high cholesterol

As with other health conditions, the workplace can be a great setting to encourage lifestyle changes that positively impact your employees’ heart health. The CDC recommends taking a multi-faceted approach that includes employee health surveys, health-related educational materials, activities or challenges, periodic blood cholesterol screenings available on-site and even lifestyle counseling and one-on-one education to help high-risk employees.

In addition, make sure to connect with your authorized Wellmark representative to ensure you have adequate coverage for cholesterol screening, counseling and treatment for your employees. The current health recommendations from the American Heart Association include routine screenings for high cholesterol in adults older than 20 every four to six years. This is a good opportunity for your employees to complete their annual wellness visit with their primary care provider (PCP). When employees have high cholesterol, treatment may include lifestyle counseling, medications to manage cholesterol levels and additional primary care visits for ongoing monitoring.

Take small steps to encourage healthy behavior

Because high cholesterol often stems from modifiable lifestyle behaviors, you can start small with workplace policies to help support employees with high cholesterol. Here are just a few ideas you can consider implementing:

• Encourage healthy eating by providing heart-healthy choices (think food low in or without trans fats, saturated fats and cholesterol) in vending machines, cafeterias, and catered meetings.
• Reduce barriers to physical activity by creating a movement or exercise area for employees, encouraging walking meetings whenever possible, or reimbursing some or all of the cost of a gym membership.
• Reduce workplace stress with guided programs throughout the day for calming activities like yoga that can be done at a cubicle or mindfulness exercises.

Get healthy discounts without lifting a finger

Reimbursing gym costs for all employees can be a big ask. Thankfully, all Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield members have access to Blue365^®, a free program that gives your employees access to deals and discounts from their favorite health and wellness brands. Your employees can use Blue365 to save on everything from gym memberships and fitness trackers to personalized eating plans and more.

Take a proactive approach to heart health

Because high cholesterol often goes undetected for years, proactive prevention matters. That’s where the Wellmark Well-being Team comes in. The Wellmark Well-being Team can give you the tools to support heart health through education, screenings and engagement programs designed to meet employees where they are. Learn more and get connected today.