What Syndrome is Found in Nearly 25% of Employees?
The combination of health risks known as metabolic syndrome affects slightly less than a quarter of the U.S. workforce and is linked to increased absenteeism and poorer health status, reports a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Analyzing HRA data on over 5,000 employees of a large financial company, the researchers found that 22.6% of the workers had the syndrome.
Researcher Dr. Wayne Burton of the University of Illinois at Chicago, said employers can provide employees with the education and tools they need to improve their health risks before experiencing the consequences of diabetes or heart disease.
Metabolic syndrome is defined as having at least 3 of these 5 disease risk factors:
- Large waist circumference (more than 40 inches for men, 35 inches for women)
- High triglycerides
- Reduced levels of HDL cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- High blood glucose
People with metabolic syndrome are at high risk for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
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