January 2009: dabl ABPM Health Screening can help prevent chronic disease in the workplace >

Chronic disease is responsible for more than half of all deaths in the world and is projected to account for two-thirds of all deaths globally in the next 25 years*.

The long-term economic impact of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke and atherosclerosis) will reduce the available labour supply, savings and productivity. Cardiovascular disease can be prevented and its effects mitigated through modification of risk factors such as high blood pressure, and lifestyle choices, which can avoid the high costs of acute episodes and related productivity costs.

Importance of early Detection and Prevention

Stroke is the third largest cause of death. High blood pressure (the silent killer) is the No. 1 modifiable risk factor for stroke.

High blood pressure also contributes to heart attacks, heart failure, kidney failure and atherosclerosis. The relationship of blood pressure levels to the risk of cardiovascular disease is continuous, consistent and independent of other risk factors. That means the higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease.

For example:

A 50 year-old man of normal body mass with blood pressure of 146/86 (high) has:

  • Almost 3 times the risk of dying from a heart attack.
  • Almost 4 times the risk of dying from a stroke.
  • About twice the risk of developing heart failure.

There is growing evidence that organisations have a clear interest in chronic disease prevention by supporting and promoting the health and well-being of their employees.

For this reason we have developed dabl ABPM Health Screening, a system specifically designed for 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement (ABPM) in a health screening and occupational health setting. This service will accurately identify those who have hypertension to prevent major cardiovascular health problems in the future.

The addition of this service will increase footfall to the health screening/occupational health centre, enhance relationships with existing clients and provide an additional revenue source. And of course help to save corporate clients huge costs in sick days, absenteeism, health insurance and other related costs.

Productivity losses associated with workers with chronic disease are as much as 40% more than the cost of treating chronic disease. Losses in productivity include disability, unplanned absences, reduced workplace effectiveness, increased accidents and negative impacts on work quality or customer service*.

An organisation that shows that it values its workers is more likely to attract, retain and motivate employees. Risk factors such as hypertension are expensive and reducing this risk factor can result in cost saving to employers.

All the research now indicates that relying solely on the one-off (clinical) blood pressure, a technique from the 1800's which is now grossly outdated and has the potential to misdiagnose up to 45%, is no longer acceptable. This means that those with hypertension who require medication may not be accurately diagnosed or managed. Due to the growing awareness of the importance of adequate blood pressure in the prevention of stroke and heart attack, there is an opportunity to provide this essential service in health screening and occupational health settings.

For more information please click here or email sales@dabl.eu

* Working towards Wellness: The Business Rationale (World Economic Forum)