Source: United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Recommendation Statement
What is this about?
This edition of Connections newsletter provides an 8-page article published recently in JAMA from the USPSTF with recommendations for behavioral counselling interventions to promote a healthy diet and physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention in adults without cardiovascular disease health risks factors. This applies to a large percentage of U.S. employees and can be integrated into preventive screening and HRA activity conducted in the workplace. This updated set of recommendations examines both benefits and harms from this particular preventive services intervention.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke, is the leading cause of death in the US. A large proportion of CVD cases can be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, elevated blood pressure or hypertension, dyslipidemia, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy diet. Adults who adhere to national guidelines for a healthy diet and physical activity have lower rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than those who do not; however, most US adults do not consume healthy diets or engage in physical activity at recommended levels.
Why is this important?
This document is important because it provides detailed recommendations for how employer wellness programs can address the clinical prevention needs of employees that do not have current Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk factors. This helps workplace wellness heart disease prevention efforts to be more closely aligned with Primary Care Practitioner (PCP) based clinical prevention efforts.
What can you do with this document?
- First, this document answers the general question…”How should our employee wellness program address behavioral counselling of CVD risk factors?
- Next, skim the document for the major recommendations about behavioral counselling for healthy diet and exercise.
- Next, examine the specific recommendations for employees completing preventive screening and use of an HRA and decide which of these you plan to incorporate in your program during the next programming cycle.
- Next, lay out in your program work plan how you plan to modify the current screening and HRA interventions .
- Next, implement them.
In summary, this document contains a detailed set of recommendations and the evidence base for behavioral counselling for healthy diet and exercise for adult employees without known CVD risk factors. These recommendations help to more closely align employer-based heart disease prevention efforts with PCP and specialist provided advice and counselling to prevent CVD.
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