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Every Beat Counts — Keep Your Heart Healthy!

Written by Simone Wilkinson—Director of Risk Management, Employee Benefits

January 24, 2024 · 2 minute read

Blog Every Beat Counts — Keep Your Heart Healthy!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, one person dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease, which is about the amount of time it will take you to finish reading this opening paragraph.

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What are Key Risk Factors for Heart Disease?

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are some of the main risk factors for heart disease, with high blood pressure being the top. Other medical conditions and lifestyle choices that can increase your risk of heart disease include diabetes, obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use.

How Can I Reduce my Risk of Heart Disease?

One way to help reduce your risk of heart disease is to know your individual risk estimates. You can use the American Heart Association’s PREVENTTM online calculator to find out what those are.

Following the ABCS of heart health can also help reduce your risk of heart attack and disease.

A: Take aspirin as directed by your health care professional.

B: Control your blood pressure.

C: Manage your cholesterol.

S: Don’t smoke.

One of the first steps in following the ABCS is to find out what your blood pressure and cholesterol levels are. You can then work with your health care professional to determine what those numbers mean and how to keep them in a healthy range. Be sure to share your own medical history and if you have a family history of heart disease. You can also talk with your health care professional about how to quit smoking.

How to Talk to My Doctor About Heart Disease

Knowing your own risk factors and taking steps to lower them can literally save your life. While there are a lot of heart-healthy steps you can take on your own, it’s a good idea to team up with a health care professional and make sure you’re on track.

Medical visits can often be quick, and a little prep goes a long way. Write down your questions or concerns beforehand and take them with you so you don’t forget. You can also take notes during your visit, and don’t be afraid to follow up after your appointment if you feel your medical professional isn’t doing their part.

References

“Heart Disease Facts,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed January 15, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm.

“ABCS of Heart Health,” Million Hearts, accessed January 15, 2024, https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/data-reports/factsheets/ABCS.html.

“Work With a Doctor,” Live to the Beat, accessed January 15, 2024, https://pulsecheck.livetothebeat.org/topic/work-with-a-doctor#section-next.

https://professional.heart.org/en/guidelines-and-statements/prevent-calculator

Have questions? Contact:

Simone Wilkinson

Simone Wilkinson

Director of Risk Management, Employee Benefits

Call: (406) 447-3301

Leveraging over twenty-five years of experience within the health insurance and legal industries, Simone Wilkinson joined Leavitt Great West Insurance in November 2020. As the Employee Benefit Director of Risk Management, Simone works with a team of data analysts and nurse case manager to view data through multiple lenses, focusing on early risk detection before high-dollar spend and self-funded group savings opportunities. This work has resulted in over $10 million in reported savings for years 2022-2024 for our Tribute Captive.

Simone possesses a solid managed-care technical skill set, with a history that includes payer pricing and contracting with healthcare providers, progressive benefit insight, and extensive claim experience. This cumulative experience provides a proactive approach and insight into unique scenarios experienced by healthcare consumers and employers. Prior to her roles in health insurance, Simone worked as a paralegal for eleven years, focusing on medical malpractice, litigation assistance, subrogation, case-law research, and trial support to counsel.

Speaking at conferences, Simone shares her wisdom on risk mitigation for employee benefits, proactive identification of opportunities, and strategies to engage employees.

After the last of her two children graduated from high school, Simone moved from Texas to Montana in 2014. In constant awe of Montana's wildlife, back-roads, paddle-boarding, and hiking, she met and married native Montanan, John. In 2021, they moved to Kentucky but still return to Montana whenever the opportunity allows.

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