Agents

February 2012

Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and high cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. The CDC cites that about 45 percent of U.S. adults have blood cholesterol levels that are considered high or borderline high - making high cholesterol a risk that your business can't afford to ignore.

Identifying High Cholesterol
Screening can identify high or borderline high cholesterol levels so that people can seek treatment and make appropriate lifestyle changes to lower levels and reduce disease risk. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends routine screening for men 35 years old and older and women aged 45 and up. Screening may also be appropriate for adults over age 20 who have other risk factors for coronary heart disease. The best screening test for cholesterol uses blood from a person who has fasted for 12 hours, and measures total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol and HDL ("good") cholesterol.

Lifestyle changes can be effective in reducing cholesterol levels, but some patients may also need medication. A clinical assessment can help determine the best treatment plan. Losing weight, increasing physical activity, eating nutritiously, eliminating tobacco use and lowering blood pressure can reduce cholesterol and lower one's risk of heart disease - and all are behaviors that wellness initiatives can support. Considering the high occurrence of heart disease and the lost productivity and substantial medical costs of the disease, it is in employers' best interest to address this significant heart disease risk factor.

Source: Centers of Disease Control and Prevention

January 2012

A recent survey found that, among people ages 65 and older, 83 percent
said they have no plans to stop driving and 36 percent said they had
never thought about it. Developed by Florida State University and the
Florida Department of Transporta-tion, the survey addresses the need
for seniors to have a plan if, and when, they are no longer able to
drive, as well as the risk of accidents among elderly drivers. When asked
how they'd get around if they were no longer able to drive, 40 percent of
respondents said they'd rely on family and friends, while 26 percent
said they'd walk and 15 percent felt there was no other alternative to
driving. Though the survey focused on Floridians, the issue is of concern
nationwide as the number of American seniors increases.

January 2012

According to a paper written for the National Academy on an Aging Society
by John W. Rowe, professor at Columbia University, shifting focus away from
the negative aspects of aging and toward the positive potential of older
Americans would benefit society as a whole. Rowe writes that aging should be
seen as an issue affecting everyone, not just the elderly. The overwhelming
attention paid to Social Security and Medicare leads to a perception that
older Americans are taking resources from younger generations rather than
emphasizing the contributions seniors can offer to society. According to
Rowe, shifting how aging is viewed in America can lead to a cohesive and
productive society rather than one where there are increasing gaps in quality
of life and opportunity and an inability to provide the goods and services
necessary for a progressively older population.

January 2012

Older Americans overwhelmingly say they'd prefer to live the rest of their
lives in their own homes but most fear they won't have enough money to
afford the lifestyle they'd want. Reverse mortgages, which allow homeown-ers
over the age of 62 to borrow against the equity in their home without a
monthly mortgage payment, are among the strategies available to seniors
concerned about their financial situation. And according to a recent survey
of seniors and their adult children, 43 percent of respondents, when asked
to rate their level of satisfaction on a 10-point scale, gave their reverse
mortgage the highest possible rating and an additional 32 percent rated
their mortgage between a six and nine. More than half of the survey's
participants said they'd definitely recommend a reverse mortgage to a
family member or friend.