Blood Pressure, Cholesterol what do they mean?
Did you know that blood pressure changes throughout the day and night according to the level of the individual's activity. It is normally at its lowest in the latter part of the sleep period. Factors that can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure include:
Generally a healthy blood pressure should be below 140/85 and if you have diabetes you should be aiming at 130/80! But what are the causes of high blood pressure?
• Being nervous or under pressure
• Physical exertion
• Illness
You can get high blood pressure if the walls of your arteries lose their elasticity, become narrowed or contract too much, if your heart is pumping too much blood or if you have too much blood in circulation resulting in and increased risk of heart disease or stroke. If blood pressure is consistently raised, it will need to be treated, either by making changes to your lifestyle or by taking medication.
About three in 10 adults in the UK have high blood pressure. It's much more common in older people – seven out of 10 people over 75 have high blood pressure.
Managing Blood Pressure:
• Managing Stress Levels.
• Maintaining a good body weight.
• If you are overweight, losing 10 kilos can reduce your BP by about 5 mmHg.
• Not Smoking.
• Not adding salt during cooking or at the table.
• Lowering salt intake by 5 grams a day can lower BP by about 5 mmHg. Aim for less than 6 grams a day.
• Regular moderate exercise.
• Diabetes or those diagnosed with high BP, must take medication and get regular checkups.
• Cutting alcohol intake.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a wax-like substance present in the body, essential for building new cells, producing hormones, and the production of bile acids which aid the digestion of dietary fats.
Why is Cholesterol Important?
8% of ALL diseases in developed countries are caused by raised cholesterol. 60% of all heart disease and 40% of strokes are caused by raised cholesterol. 48% of adults have cholesterol above the recommended levels.
Think of cholesterol like lime scale build up in a central heating system. If the water is too hard, too much lime scale will build up on the pipes. As too much lime scale builds up it reduces the width of the pipes that water can flow down. This will increase the strain on the heating pump to push water around to heat the house and the strain on the pipes to withstand an increase in pressure. A more serious problem occurs if a chunk of lime scale detaches from the pipes and blocks the heating pump.
This concept is very similar to the circulatory system of the body. Cholesterol can be viewed as the lime scale; the arteries as pipes and the heart as a heating pump. A build up in Cholesterol can cause increased blood pressure.
Can I Reduce the Risk Factors?
There are a number of proactive things you can do to increase your level of HDL (Good) Cholesterol and reduce your LDL (Bad Cholesterol).
• Limit your intake of full fat dairy products and remove visible fat/skin from meat.
• Choose plenty of fruit and veg, wholegrain breads and cereals.
• Check labels, choose low in saturated fat, salt and fibre.
• Avoid deep fried foods, butter, hard/visible white fat and hydrogenated fats.
• Avoid salty foods, adding salt during cooking or at the table.
Wellbeing at Work
As an employer are you concerned about any of the following?
By Matthew Day - Nuffield Health Physiologist and MD Sports Massage
1. Sick leave and absenteeism
2. Workplace morale
3. Productivity rates
4. Increasing employee responsibility
5. Improved company loyalty
6. Improved work performance
7. Decreasing your health insurance costs
8. Decreasing your health care costs
As a whole, the UK is experiencing a decline in the overall health in society, which means the workforce! Is your business suffering and what can you do to remain one step ahead?
A healthy staff means a healthy business!
Some stats...
On average 30 million working days are lost each year due to occupational ill health and injury, sickness absence costs UK employers a fortune each year. The UK absentee rates in 2004 reached an all time high of 9 days per employee per year - with a cost to UK businesses of over £12bn (The Work Foundation).
The UK's population has the highest prevalence of obesity among all those tested in Europe. Two-thirds of men and approaching 60% of women are now either overweight or obese and over 24% of women over 16 years old in the West Midlands are considered obese ie with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 (Health Profile of England Report October 2006).
Did you know...
Stress-related conditions and musculoskeletal disorders are now the most common causes of work-related sickness absence. Those off sick with back pain for six months have only a 50% chance of returning to work; after a year that chance reduces to 25% (CSAG report on back pain, 1994).
Less than 25% of women and 37% of men are meeting the Chief Medical Officer's exercise recommendations of half an hour of moderate intensity physical activity, at least 3 times per week.
Employees involved in corporate fitness programmes and corporate wellbeing take 5 sick days less per annum than colleagues not on a programme. (Prudential Insurance Company research)
Exercisers can work at full efficiency all day, giving a 12.5% increase in productivity. (Prudential Insurance Company research)
Exercise boosts the immune system, so helps combat colds and flu, fights stress hormones and encourages production of 'feel good' hormones
So, would you like to differentiate your company from the competitors and attract healthier employees? Would you like to get more out of your employees and retain them for longer?
What Do You Do?
The implementation of Wellbeing at Work has proven effective in reducing the company health care costs of each employee's health.
You can create a lasting impact on the cost of sick leave through education, training and lifestyle management. A successful health and well-being programme will result in reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, and increased skill retention, and reduced recruitment and training costs.
It's not all about cost reduction though. A successful health and well-being programme, where employees' physical and mental well-being is protected and improved, results in sustained staff morale leading to greater workplace engagement, which in turn drives increased productivity. The benefits are significant, whatever the economic climate. A 2004 review showed a reduction in sickness absence of between 12% and 36% when wellbeing measures were put in place, and creates an environment that helps them make positive changes that can affect their working and personal lives.
Wellbeing at Work Programs can cover a broad range of healthcare initiatives, from nutritional advice to exercise programs and medical cover to look after diverse employee needs. The effectiveness of a Wellbeing at Work Program in terms of the work environment is simple. Employees are healthy therefore on the whole a lot happier; this equates to maximized performance. They are also aware that the company is taking measures to ensure their health and wellbeing and this breeds loyalty and responsibility.
There are many factors that influence a person's health and wellbeing. These could be minor problems, such colds or flu, to major issues, such as heart problems or obesity. Any of these could result in the employee taking time off work.
Whilst it is difficult to put a value on morale, work performance and staff loyalty, your company, as a whole, will undoubtedly see an overall reduction in costs.
The main aim of a Wellbeing at Work Program, through education, incentives and direct healthcare, is to encourage employees to lead healthier lifestyles.
For more information visit the Health and Safety at Work website or contact Matthew Day of MD Sports Therapy and Wellbeing on 07801328781
Tips to control Stress Levels
By Matthew Day - Nuffield Health Physiologist and MD Sports Massage
Overall stress reduction demands attention to lifestyle. The important point is to take an active role in it - don't let it just happen.
- Limit your working hours to, at most, 10 hours a day, five days a week
- It is much easier to cope with stress when nutrition, exercise and sleep are adequate
- Try the 55/5 rule when you are at work: take a five minute time-out every hour! It could be as simple as switching off you monitor and collect your thoughts. It's also a good time to get up and stretch your legs and get a glass of water – your mind and body will thank you for it!
- When it is impossible to get away, when you are stuck on a train or in a traffic jam, try taking ten deep breaths – close your eyes if this makes you more able to concentrate
- Starting with your toes, gently tighten each muscle in the body and then release it, working your way up through your legs, into your body, shoulders, arms, neck and face. This will help to relieve physical tension and enable you to relax
- Keep fit – walking is an excellent way to increase your activity levels but also try to introduce some more vigorous forms of exercise 2-3 times per week, such as swimming or gym exercise
- Schedule in a gym session where you can concentrate purely on relaxation. Take time to stretch and take advantage of the saunas and steam rooms if available
- Book yourself in for a relaxing massage which helps the body produce endorphins to ease tension
Worcestershire Primary Care Trust offers 'Stop Smoking' service
A Win – Win Investment in your Staff
When staff stop smoking everyone benefits and your profits increase:
Immediate improvement in staff health
Reduced sickness
Reduced staff breaks
Increased productivity time
Cash to your bottom line
Cash in the pocket of your staff (£150 per month for a 20/day smoker)
Research shows that 70% of smokers want to stop smoking and this Win – Win Business Pack provides you with everything you need to signpost your staff to local NHS stop smoking services at no cost to you.
To order an information pack or signposting leaflets for your staff ring the Worcestershire Smoking Advice Service 01905 760222.
Stopping smoking is the single most important thing you can do for your current and future health. Your are four times more likely to stop with Worcestershire Smoking Advice Service than if you go it alone."
The pack also includes details about how you can achieve the new Heart Smart Business Award – supported by Worcester Warriors and information about how you can tackle counterfeit cigarette sales within the company.
For further details or to arrange a consultation visit to your site please call Peter Hill on 07799 893823.