Current trends in reducing cardiovascular risk factors in the United States: focus on worksite health and wellness

Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2014 Mar-Apr;56(5):476-83. doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2013.10.002. Epub 2013 Oct 5.

Abstract

Health care in the United States (US) is changing with a broad provision of health care services to every American due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) slated to begin in January of 2014. An important aspect of the ACA is that US companies may begin to offer health insurance incentives to employees for participating in health and wellness initiatives. Moreover, since US employers directly absorb many of the financial costs associated with the high degree of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors present in their personnel, employers may be financially vested in improving employee health. However, employers must also consider the costs of developing and maintaining programs to improve employee health and their return on investment (ROI). This review will identify key risk factors to address in a worksite health and wellness program and to examine the performance of such programs in improving CV risk factors and their ROI.

Keywords: Cardiac rehabilitation; Cardiovascular; Health; Risk factors; Wellness; Worksite.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cardiovascular Diseases / diagnosis
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / economics
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Employee Incentive Plans
  • Health Care Costs
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Insurance, Health
  • Occupational Health Services / economics
  • Occupational Health Services / methods*
  • Occupational Health* / economics
  • Prevalence
  • Preventive Health Services / economics
  • Preventive Health Services / methods*
  • Prognosis
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Risk Reduction Behavior*
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Workplace* / economics