Chicago (September 12, 2018) – The American Heart Association and Midwest Business Group on Health are teaming up to urge Chicagoland employees to monitor their blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The new collaboration will bring the Check. Change. Control. blood pressure management program to area employers. The initiative incorporates remote monitoring and online tracking to improve outcomes in hypertension management, physical activity, and weight reduction.
“We’re on a mission to improve the health of employees across the Midwest,” said Cheryl Larson, president and CEO, Midwest Business Group on Health. “By partnering with the American Heart Association we’re one step closer to realizing healthier work environments. Our employer members can better support their employees in controlling their blood pressure at work and making positive lifestyle changes to live a healthy life.”
High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.” Most of the time, there are no obvious symptoms. When left untreated, high blood pressure causes damage to the circulatory system that is a significant contributing factor to heart disease, stroke and other health issues. Cardiovascular disease costs employers about $10 billion a year. High blood pressure affects more than half of Americans. However, it can be controlled with proper treatment and management.
Check. Change. Control. was initially launched by the American Heart Association in 2012, focusing on 18 cities nationwide. The program has expanded to include over 150 cities with more than 389,000 enrolled participants with an average drop in systolic blood pressure of 11mm Hg.
For more information on the Check. Change. Control. program, visit the American Heart Association’s website.
About Midwest Business Group on Health
MBGH is one of the nation’s leading non-profit employer coalitions of 130 mid, large and jumbo self-funded public and private employers, representing over 4 million lives and annually spending over $4.5 billion on health care. Members consist of leading health benefit professionals, with activities focused on education, research, benchmarking and community-based initiatives that increase the value of health benefits and health care services. MBGH is a founding member of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. www.mbgh.org
About the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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