The WellRight Blog

A healthy heart is one of the key components of overall health and wellbeing—but year after year, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

And while cardiovascular disease can refer to a broad umbrella of conditions, the most prevalent is coronary artery disease, which impacts roughly 1 in 20 working adults and poses one of the greatest risks to a heart attack.

Beyond the serious health effects of heart disease, it can also be incredibly expensive for both employees and employers to treat and cover. The most recent data from the American Heart Association shows cardiovascular disease costs the U.S. nearly $318 billion per year in medical expenses, and up to $237 billion per year in lost productivity.

Improving and maintaining heart health is vital to overall employee wellbeing and organizational success, yet over half of working adults skip routine checkups and forgo common health screenings. So how can leaders encourage preventive care action and support their employees’ long-term health?

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Showing up is half the battle,” particularly as it applies to job attendance. Ingrained into workplace culture is the idea that perfect attendance demonstrates commitment and loyalty—even if it comes at the cost of physical or mental wellbeing. 

According to a recent Zippia report compiling PTO usage data across a variety of industries, 84% of members with allotted PTO say they still go into work sick, exacerbating preventable conditions. It’s clear that presenteeism—or feeling pressure to show up to work despite feeling ill—is still rampant among today’s workers. But, given rising concerns around mental and physical ailments impacting engagement and performance, administrators are starting to prioritize their populations’ wellbeing over perfect attendance.

As more signs and symptoms are brought to the forefront, it’s up to benefits providers to find holistic, centralized wellness platforms for clients who are focused on creating an accessible hub for benefits and communication to boost their members’ total wellbeing.