Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Among Female Hospital Employees: The Heart Smart for Women Intervention

Overview

This study aims to show that a 6-week program designed specifically for women can lead to sustainable behavior change and improvement in heart disease risk factors over one year among a cohort of 46 female employees recruited from within the Heart Hospital at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). The program is adapted from book "Heart Smart for Women: Six S. T. E. P. S in Six Weeks to Heart-Healthy Living," written by Northwell cardiologists Dr. Jennifer H. Mieres and Dr. Stacey E. Rosen. The 6-week intervention will include a weekly didactic session, with each week devoted to a different theme (food, exercise, etc). The intervention will follow the program outlined in the book. We will also be using Yammer, an online discussion group part of the Office 365 suite, to distribute materials and encourage conversations surrounding the theme of the week.

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United State. Nine out of ten women have one or more risk factors for heart disease and one in three women will die of heart disease. However, most women are unaware of these statistics. As a result, women are less likely than men to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and are more likely than men to delay in seeking help. The best ways to educate women about heart disease and change their behavior to prevent heart disease are unknown. More than 80% of heart disease is preventable but requires both knowledge of risk factors and adherence to lifestyle changes. This program is designed to address these challenges in women, where this is a particular unmet need. Some prior community and workplace-based studies have demonstrated short term improvements in modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A community based primary prevention program among disadvantaged women decreased the rate of metabolic syndrome, anxiety, depression and stress. The economic burden of heart disease on employers is significant although workplace employee wellness programs have not been shown to decrease employer costs. The impact of employee wellness programs on clinical outcome measures have been inconsistent. This program is designed to educate female employees about their heart disease risk factors and provide tactical support to improve their heart health. Once validated, the program can be rolled out to other employees and to the community.