KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

Our lives revolve around numbers: cell phone numbers, account numbers, stock market numbers, sports numbers, etc. But did you know that our lives also revolve around health-related numbers like blood pressure, waistline, cholesterol, body mass index, blood sugar, and many others? Unfortunately, these are the numbers that many of us don’t know by heart and haven’t known in years!

Knowing your numbers can save your life. A simple check-up or “well visit” with your doctor and a blood test can reveal a lot about how healthy your lifestyle is and what your future might hold. All of the numbers listed above, and many more, provide us with an idea of our risk for disease and health issues that are often preventable. Proper medical care and healthy choices, like diet and exercise, are among the best practices for maintaining good health and preventing disease.

Not only does knowing your numbers provide an opportunity to diagnose preexisting conditions, it offers an opportunity to prevent disease from occurring. Being “healthy” is not black and white. The absence of disease can be a very gray area. Most diseases have “pre” stages, such as prediabetes or prehypertension, where disease is imminent if nothing is done to reverse the course you are on. In addition, many diseases increase your risk for having others. For example, diabetes and high blood pressure increase your risk for heart disease. Therefore, preventing one disease helps you to potentially prevent others, as well.

Being healthy requires constant effort: making healthy decisions, eating right, staying active, participating in screenings when recommended, getting vaccinated, washing your hands, taking medication when needed, AND having your numbers checked on a regular basis. Depending on your overall health, age, and family history, the recommendation for how frequently you should have your numbers checked may vary. However, when presented with the opportunity to do so, there’s usually no harm in being proactive.

Monitoring your numbers on a regular basis can help you and your doctor to watch your health progress very closely, whether you are preventing disease or managing disease. Each year you can determine if your actions over the previous 12 months were enough to keep you aging in a healthy direction or if you need to change particular behaviors. This is especially beneficial if you have a personal or family history of a health condition. Some diseases that can be diagnosed or prevented by keeping an eye on the numbers are: high blood pressure, heart disease, underweight, overweight or obesity, diabetes, liver disease, and prostate cancer.

Many health conditions like diabetes, overweight, or high blood pressure are often manageable, but the key is knowing that you have them or that you are at high risk. Therefore, take action to know your numbers!

Fortunately, SCA makes it easy for you. Once a year, HealthNEXT visits your work place for an Annual Health Assessment (AHA). You have the chance to have your blood drawn and meet with the doctor and behaviorist while at work. Not only is it free to participate, but you are also eligible to win money and prizes. The benefits don’t stop there. You also have the opportunity to work with a personal health coach to improve your numbers all year! Furthermore, by simply participating, you have the opportunity to save your own life. Knowing your numbers is the greatest benefit of all. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Next week we will define what tests are included in the AHA and what behaviors affect them. Future posts will provide information on what you can expect at the AHA and when they will take place for each location.  If you have any questions about the AHA, ask your nurse, HR representative, or someone from the HealthNEXT team.