Welcome to Exan's Wellness and Life Skills Program

Helping Employees Care For Wellness

Do Your Employees Know Their Numbers?

Your employees know their phone number, their PIN number, and their social-security number, but do they know the even-more-important numbers that gauge their personal well-being?

These are the personal biomarkers -- the same numbers that your insurance company uses to determine your employee''s odds of dying a premature death or succumbing to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. If employees know and track their numbers, they'll be in a position to make lifestyle choices that will change them for the better.

Use Wellness Factors' Health Tracker for instant feedback on the following biomarkers and on how you can help your employees improve them. You can use the corporate wellness tracker to record the overall bio markers and health risk of employees.

Blood Pressure

A blood pressure reading, such as "140/90," gives the pressure during the contraction of your heart (140) over the pressure during its relaxation phase (90). A consistently elevated blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg puts you at risk of heart disease. Measure your blood pressure on a quarterly basis at your local pharmacy or through your health-care provider.

HDL Cholesterol

High density lipoprotein (HDL) is the "good cholesterol" that counteracts the effects of the "bad cholesterol" by returning excess cholesterol to the liver. Ideally, your HDL should be 35 mg/dl or higher.

LDL Cholesterol

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) leads to a build up of cholesterol in the arteries, resulting in heart disease. Ideally, your LDL should be lower than 130 mg/dl.

Total Cholesterol

Your total cholesterol is the sum of your LDL, HDL, and other lipoproteins. Ideally, your total cholesterol should be below 200 mg/dl, unless your HDL is high. People under 30 should aim for an even lower total of 180 mg/dl. You can lower your total cholesterol through exercise and diet.

Cholesterol Ratio

Some health-care professionals consider the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol as the best basis for assessing a person's risk of heart disease. This ratio comes from dividing the total cholesterol by the HDL cholesterol. To avoid heart disease, people need to keep their cholesterol ratio below 5:1. The ideal ratio is 3.5:1.

Resting Heart Rate

The heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute when we're at rest. The resting heart rate usually rises with age, and is generally lower in physically fit people. Take your pulse at the same time each day -- when you wake up is the best time -- and seek to lower it through regular exercise.

Blood Glucose

The blood glucose test, which tells you if you have diabetes, is a routine doctor's test for high-risk individuals or people over 40. It can also be purchased over the counter at most pharmacies. A normal reading is between 4-6 mmol/liter. If your results are out of this range, talk to your doctor.

BMI

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the division of your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres. Experts consider BMI a good indicator of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and increased risk of cancer. A BMI greater than 27.3 for women and 27.8 or more for men indicates overweight. If your BMI is greater than 25, talk to your doctor.

Calorie Count

A person's optimal caloric intake per day depends on their body size, physical activity, and body weight goals. People with an average-sized body whose jobs entail low or moderate physical activity should be consuming no more than 1,800 calories a day.

Waist Circumference

High waist circumference suggests a high risk of diabetes and heart disease. A waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men or 35 inches in women -- is considered high.

Waist-Hip Ratio

To obtain your waist-hip ratio, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. Males with a 1.0+ ratio and females with a .85+ ratio face a higher risk of disease. Your waist-to-hip ratio may be something you've inherited, but by knowing your level of health risk, you can take special care to eat nutritiously, exercise often, and practice other healthy lifestyle habits.

For more information about Wellness Factors' employee assistance programs, contact us.