The Scary Person In The White Coat

Ever hear about something called “White Coat Syndrome”? Wikipedia says that White Coat Syndrome is a phenomenon in which patients exhibit elevated blood pressure in a clinical setting but not in other settings. It is believed that this is due to the anxiety people experience during a doctor’s visit. Has anybody experienced this? I know you can’t see me but I have two hands raised waving them like that little kid on one of those AT&T commercials.
I think I start freaking out about a doctor’s visit the day I make the appointment. Seems crazy but I can’t help it. I always think that something is bad is going to happen by going to the doctors. I know.. I know.. the doctor is there to fix your health problems.
The reason I bring this is up is because about 12 years ago I went to a doctor for the first time in probably 10 years and that one visit may have saved my life. I was a guy that always worked out, ate right, rarely drank, never smoked and not overweight but what I didn’t know was that I had high blood pressure that was through the roof. The doctor at the time said that if they hadn’t caught it before it had done damage than I would have been very susceptible to a heart attack or stroke. Don’t get me wrong I still hate going to the doctor but I know that I have to go.
I know there are some of you that say you feel fine, you are not overweight and don’t smoke but I can tell you that the medical people are right when they say that high blood pressure is the silent killer because a lot of time you don’t know if you have it.
So man up and see the person in the White Coat!!!

Facts and Ideas That Make You Say….. Hmmmmm…………….

—  Waste Management launched an integrated campaign including managing obesity and blood pressure, diagnosing and treating sleep apnea, driver safety, lunch-and-learn educational programs, enhanced physical exam processes and tracking, and more. As a result, a key cost metric went from a 22 percent increase to a 1.3 percent decrease, and the company has tracked savings of more than $100 million over several years.

The Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a leading researcher on health care costs and management strategies for more than a decade, estimates that 50 percent to 70 percent of all illnesses and medical problems can be tied to a handful of lifestyle choices: obesity, smoking, inadequate exercise, poor nutrition, and inability to manage stress. To add specific costs to just one of those, a 2003 American Lung Association study estimated that an employee who smokes costs employers at least $1,000 extra per year in direct and indirect health care costs.

—  Would a 20 percent reduction in health care costs help your company? According to a 2008 Indianapolis Business Journal article, that’s how much trucking industry leader Celadon saved with its Highway 2 Health wellness initiative. The company’s program includes a fully staffed wellness clinic, health screening for blood pressure, body mass, glucose and lipid profiles, individualized health reports with proactive health improvement plans, health coaching, and educational resources.