https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(12)61729-2.pdf

Years lived with disability (YLDs) for 1160 sequelae of 289 diseases and injuries 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (vol 380, pg 2197, 2012)

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(12)61689-4.pdf

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

The burden that disease places on societies around the world is complex and changing as communicable diseases are replaced by noncommunicable diseases. This article summarizes these changes and the current burden.

/pdf/measuring-the-global-burden-of-disease-1mgh0sdmoq.pdf

Measuring the Global Burden of Disease

With >130 million Americans employed across the United States, workplaces provide a large audience for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke prevention activities. Experience has shown that workplace wellness programs are an important strategy to prevent the major shared risk factors for CVD and stroke, including cigarette smoking, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, and diabetes. An estimated 25% to 30% of companies’ medical costs per year are spent on employees with the major risk factors listed above.1 Employees and their families share the financial burden through higher contributions to insurance, higher copayments and deductibles, reduction or elimination of coverage, and trade-offs of insurance benefits against wage or salary increases. When programs are successful, their influence extends beyond the individual workers to immediate family members, who are often exposed to their favorable lifestyle changes. Worksite wellness programs that can reduce these risk factors can ultimately decrease the physical and economic burden of chronic diseases, including CVD, stroke, and certain cancers.

The societal benefits of a healthy employed population extend well beyond the workplace. As such, comprehensive, culturally sensitive health promotion within the workplace can improve the nation’s health. The Healthy People 2010 goal is for 75% of all worksites, regardless of size, to develop comprehensive wellness programming.2 However, the development of comprehensive programs takes time and resources, especially for smaller employers. Because program development and initiation can be resource intensive, the American Heart Association (AHA) supports incremental efforts to achieve a comprehensive worksite wellness program to address CVD and stroke prevention and makes the following recommendations.



1. Components of Wellness Programs

Worksite Wellness Programs for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association

Escalating healthcare costs have led employers to identify ways to assess the actual burden of disease among their employees. One such measure is the use of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). DALYs were calculated for the General Motors (GM) population for 1994 through 1998 using data from GM's Mortality Registry, published life tables, and age- and sex-specific disease incidence and disability data from the U.S. Burden of Disease Study. Chronic diseases accounted for 45% (245,844 of 540,450) of total DALYs lost. Ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease led the list for both men and women and accounted for 39% and 31%, respectively, of the top 10 DALYs lost. Disease burden among employees could be reduced through targeted interventions aimed at the risk factors associated with the leading causes of DALYs.

Yuliya Popova

Papers

Assessing the burden of disease among an employed population: implications for employer-sponsored prevention programs.