National Wear Red Day

February 2nd is National Wear Red Day 

It is aimed to promote awareness for heart disease and stroke. In particular, the day focuses on raising awareness for women. Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death for women. About 2,200 Americans die of cardiovascular disease every day and but 80% of these disease may be preventable. There are five numbers that everyone should know about themselves and those are:

• Total Cholesterol
• HDL Cholesterol
• Blood Pressure
• Blood Sugar
• Body Mass Index (BMI)

Heart disease is a serious condition for both men and women and risk factors include diabetes, mental stress and depression, smoking, inactivity, and menopause. Things you can do to reduce these risk factors are:

• Stop smoking
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy diet
• Find activities to relieve stress as well 

For ways to prevent these risk factors or to lower your chances for for cardiovascular disease, check out these tips on how to...

• Stop smoking
• Stress Management - Ways to Relieve Stress
• Be Active Your Way!

Flu Season

This flu season is off to an astounding start. As of last week, over 2,000 flu associated hospitalizations have been reported by the Ohio Department of Health. This is up significantly as this time last year, only 369 had been reported. Many of the patients tested have been carrying a virus called H3N2 and several people have not only been hospitalized, but have passed away due to the virus. 

It is still highly recommended by CDC officials that everyone get a flu shot to stay protected against the flu. Other ways that you can keep yourself and others against the flu are:

• Staying home if you are sick! Symptoms of the flu include a runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting as well as a temperature over 100 degrees. 
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds; use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes.

For more information on flu, visit the CDC's website here!

Learn how to protect yourself from the flu by visiting OSHA's website here!

Tips on how to stay healthy in the cold and flu season can be found here!

Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. It is the leading cause of blindness for individuals over 60 as well. Glaucoma effects approximately 3 million Americans, but only half of those realize they have it. 

Glaucoma is a disease that damages your eye’s optic nerve. It happens when fluid builds up in the front part of your eye. This fluid increases the pressure in your eye, damaging the optic nerve. But, blindness from glaucoma can often be prevented with early treatment.

Some early symptoms of an attack may include blurred vision, halos, mild headaches or eye pain, however most people have no symptoms of glaucoma. Those who have a family history of glaucoma are more susceptible to it and you tend to lose your peripheral vision first. 

Although glaucoma can cause blindness, it can also be easily treated. Using eye drops or laser surgery, you can save your remaining vision. 

For more information on how you can spread awareness, visit NEHEP's website here!

For facts about glaucoma, click here!

To find the nearest health center to you to get an eye exam go to OACHC's website at www.ohiochc.org/page/FINDACHC 

New Year, HEALTHIER you!

What are you resolving to do?

Are you one of those people that says every January 1st, "This is the year I change my life!!"
And then what? By February, your gym pass is covered in dust, the lettuce in your fridge is molded and you are just mentally exhausted? If this is you, then you are a part of the 80% of people who fail to keep their New Year's resolutions. Even with this statistic, don't give up hope just yet! Sometimes just finding that one thing you really love can really motivate you to make a change. 

Although healthy eating and exercise are good for you, it is also important to stay mentally healthy and emotionally healthy as well. Adding some online or in person classes are a great way to keep yourself motivated and held accountable for these changes in your life as well. 


For suggestions on activities and courses, check out this article on Business Insider 

For tips on how to live healthier, read

• 9 Ways to Live Healthier in 2018 
• 12 Things You Need to Give Up in 2018 to Be Healthy (and Happy)
• 8 simple habits to change for a healthier 2018

Want to try something new? Try these food trends for 2018!

No matter what you resolve to do or not to do, have a happy and healthy 2018! 

Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure to Improve Hypertension

Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure to Improve Hypertension

Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Even a small elevation in blood pressure can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality. The risk of death from ischemic heart disease and stroke doubles for every 20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure or 10 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure. Self-monitoring of blood pressure (SMBP), when combined with additional clinical support, is one strategy that can reduce the risk of disability or death due to high blood pressure, and has been shown to lead to better overall control. 

SMBP is the regular measurement of blood pressure by a patient at home or somewhere outside of the healthcare setting, using a personal measurement device. A recent article on the effectiveness of SMBP, stated that self-monitoring was associated with reduced clinic systolic blood pressure (sBP) compared to usual care at 12 months, and was most effective in those with fewer anti-hypertensive medications and higher baseline sBP up to 170 mmHg. 

When engaging your patients in self-monitoring activities, it is important to make sure that your patients feel comfortable with the process and that they know what steps to take, including seeking emergency treatment, if they have a blood pressure reading that is outside the pre-determined acceptable range, or if they experience symptoms with a high or low blood pressure reading. This guidance to your patient should be individualized by the clinician and reinforced by clinical staff at the initiation of any SMBP. Your patients should also be communicating the home measurements with their provider’s office to be most effective. This can be done using the telephone, patient portal, or an in person follow-up visit. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Million Hearts have provided a guide detailing Action Steps for Clinicians to facilitate the implementation of SMBP including how to prepare care teams to implement SMBP with patients, how to empower patients, and additional clinical and educational support. 


Sources/Resources:
Million Hearts/ CDC Action Steps for Clinicians
https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/files/MH_SMBP_Clinicians.pdf

Uhlig K, Balk EM, Patel K, et al. Self-measured blood pressure monitoring: comparative effectiveness. Comparative effectiveness review no. 45 (prepared by the Tufts Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. HHSA 290-2007- 10055-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 12-EHC002-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. January 2012. http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports/final.cfm  

Blood Pressure. Murakami L and Rakotz M. Self-measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Program: Engaging Patients in Self-measurement. 1st ed. Daniel D and Prall M, eds. American Medical Association and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; February 2015.
https://www.stepsforward.org/Static/images/modules/8/downloadable/SMBP%20monitoring%20program.pdf

Preferred Benefits Services Employee Benefits

Enhance your employee benefits package through the OACHC! 

• 25% rate reduction to your current Basic Life program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with four face-to-face visits included at no charge
• Higher guarantee issue limits and plan maximums on Voluntary Life
• Reduced employee costs for Voluntary Life
• Spouse and child(ren) benefits available 
• No requirement to offer a new open enrollment period 
• April 1, 2018 effective date

For more information, contact: 
Brian Lenzo 

Group Benefits Specialist

Preferred Benefits Services, Inc.

1-800-558-5658 
brian@prefben.com

Have you gotten your flu shot?

National Influenza Vaccination Week

This week highlights the importance of getting your influenza vaccination. Flu season peaks between December and February but can last well into May! Each year, hundreds of thousands of people get the flu and many are even hospitalized. 

"While the impact of flu varies, it places a substantial burden on the health of people in the United States each year. CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9.2 million and 60.8 million illnesses, between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually since 2010." - Centers for Disease Control 

The flu is a highly contagious respiratory infection. Those who are most at risk of contracting the flu are:

• individuals 65 or older           
• pregnant women
• kids
• people with asthma, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, or cancer

For this flu season, it is recommended that you only get the flu shot to be sure that you are safe from the flu. However, other preventative measures you can take to stay healthy this winter include:

• avoiding close contact with sick people
• if you have flu-like symptoms, stay home for at least 24 hours
• cover your nose and mouth when sneezing
• ALWAYS wash your hands! If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol based hand-sanitizer.

For more information, click here!

To learn how you can spread more information about National Influenza Vaccination Week and information about the flu in general, go to the CDC's Influenza page here!

To find out where you can get a flu vaccine, go to https://vaccinefinder.org/