Routine cholesterol checks on the NHS aren’t necessarily easy to come by these days. They are offered during health checks at key ages above 40, but many of the UK population aren’t aware of this and, even if they are, they often don’t have the time to visit their GP to get it checked.
But with the recent news that 54% of the UK population are potentially living with high cholesterol, it’s recommended that everyone should have their levels checked, whatever age they are.
There are many reasons why, not least that high cholesterol can potentially lead to heart disease or stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the UK.
But why, as a company, would you want to offer this service to your staff? There are many benefits – not just for your people, but for your company, too.
If your employees have the simple check provided by health and wellbeing company DocHQ – which involves a finger-prick blood test that the employee can administer at home in their own time and then send to our certified laboratory for testing – they will receive a detailed results report that measures five types of cholesterol results:
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol Known as ‘bad’ cholesterol because it leads to the build-up of fatty deposits in blood vessels, narrowing them and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol Often referred to as ‘good’ cholesterol, this helps remove LDL cholesterol from the arteries.
- Triglycerides Mainly derived from consumed fats, as well as being made by the body. Elevated triglyceride levels are linked to heart disease and other health issues.
- Total cholesterol/HDL ratio
- Total cholesterol
The DocHQ Cholesterol Check results come with a confidential online GP-verified results report within 1-3 days, including doctor’s advice on next steps.
How will this help your company?
High cholesterol is a warning sign that there might be serious health problems in the future. It’s a way of picking up issues early and preventing health problems in later years, as often there are no symptoms if you are suffering from raised cholesterol.
By offering the opportunity for employees to have their cholesterol checked, you are empowering them to take control of their health by making lifestyle or dietry changes and live a healthier, and fitter, life. And if there are no issues, they can be assured that their health is in good shape.
As a company, this benefits you as you will not lose staff to potential cholesterol-related issues, when they might require sick days to visit the doctor or hospital, take extended leave to recover from surgery, be less productive due to health-related issues or even experience long-term disability.
A simple test, offered annually as part of our bespoke health screening package, could make a huge difference not just to individual staff members’ lives, but to your company as a whole.
DocHQ Cholesterol Checks are available to companies looking to provide enhanced employee wellbeing benefit packages. To find out more, contact Amit Arora at [email protected]