According to Health Canada, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Canada, currently affecting about 2.4 million adults. In fact, in 2012 alone over 45,000 Canadian lives were claimed by this disease.  For those of us who remain unaffected by cardiovascular disease, it’s sobering to learn that 9 out of 10 Canadians a have at least one risk factor for heart disease (i.e. cholesterol, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, weight, diabetes, age, gender, genetics, ethnicity and smoking).

The 6 different types of conditions that represent cardiac disease include:

• Ischemic heart disease – the most common form of cardiovascular disease in Canada is defined as poor heart muscle function that leads to blood circulation issues.
• Cerebrovascular disease – commonly known as a stroke, refers to poor blood circulation to the brain or complete blockage of a brain blood vessel.
• Peripheral vascular disease – defined as poor blood circulation to the limbs typically recognized by both pain and fatigue.
• Heart failure – the inefficiency of the heart to pump blood through the circulatory system, is most often the result of damage to heart and recognized by a shortness of breath and swelling.
• Rheumatic heart disease – the most common form of cardiovascular disease among poor countries, refers to infections that damage the inner tissues and valves of the heart.
• Congenital heart disease – a structural issue with the heart at birth which can result in a number of cardiovascular disruptions.

When considering risk factors and personal risk it’s important to note that variables related to individual lifestyle, occupation, and more can also have a major effect on individual risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies have indicated that high mentally and/or physically straining jobs can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by over 25%. On top of that, when combined with a low level of control over and individual’s job, risk increases to over 55%!

It’s been made clear that unhealthy lifestyle does not alone account for the development of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Both physical and/or mental occupational work demands are significantly associated with certain cardiovascular risk factors including metabolic syndrome, weight, or impaired fat/glucose metabolism. 

Now, the question is: which occupations put employees at the highest risk of developing cardiovascular disease? A recent study investigating the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among occupations found that jobs in construction, manufacturing, transportation, utilities and waste management are most at risk. Occupations with the lowest prevalence of cardiovascular disease include finance, educational services, and professional, scientific and technical services. The study concluded that labour workers, especially those with shift work, were at the highest risk for most cardiovascular diseases.  However, this doesn’t mean that executives and office workers have nothing to worry about! Sedentary occupations, such as those performed at a desk, when combined with high levels of mental stress can significantly increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.

Specifically among safety sensitive occupations, heavy equipment operators are at the highest significant risk for cardiovascular disease.  A recent study indicated that 26% of deaths among heavy equipment operators were due to heart disease.  That being said, there are ways to reduce this alarmingly high number of individuals at risk. Proper nutrition and regular physical activity can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by a whopping 25-40%.

Of the many benefits of regular physical activity, some that are particularly relevant include:

• Reduction in body weight
• Increase in good cholesterol (HDL)
• Reduction in bad cholesterol (LDL)
• Reduction in blood pressure
• Increase in insulin sensitivity

Simply put, exercise is medicine!  Nutrition is a very important player in individual health and wellbeing but regular physical activity has the ability to modify ones morphology.  For example, the increase in muscle function also results in the improvement of strength and endurance through better oxygen utilization. In fact, increasing one’s ability to transport and utilization oxygen is of particular importance for both the treatment and prevention of heart disease, while the reduction in fatigue (while performing moderate/rigorous physical activity) significantly improves the quality of life at work and home.

The consequences of poor physical fitness and health, for those working at a physically demanding job, can be costly both in human and economic terms.  This is especially true with the rapidly increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease.  Employers today face complex challenges that impact the health and well-being of their most experienced workers, especially since there is a rapid increase in non-occupational related illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease within the older demographic. Besides the mental and physical health challenges of the work place, there are rapidly increasing rates of sedentary-based illnesses in the general population due to poor lifestyle habits – a serious concern as the most experienced employees are at the highest risk of lifestyle related illnesses. 

Non-occupational diseases (i.e. diabetes and cardiovascular disease) are very often confused with occupational diseases (ailments resulting from occupational activity), and a significant number of industries are unable to properly identify which physical or mental conditions are a result of the occupation itself.  This is especially true with the growing epidemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease in the general population.  Studies have found that a significant number of cardiac events are attributed to traffic, and that reducing ones daily commute by 20 minutes alone can significantly reduce individual risk.  Improving both the physical and mental health standards and education in the workplace not only positively affects the work wellness culture, but the wellness culture of the community as a whole.

To learn more about how Horizon Occupational Health Solutions can help your organization effectively mitigate heart disease through outcome based programs, simply fill out the form below and one of our representatives will be in touch.