Abstract
Introduction: Workplace wellness programs are part of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) strategy at improving cardiovascular health. Data suggest that most cost and risk borne by employers is with metabolic syndrome (MS). The current study aimed to ascertain the primary to short-term (12 weeks) efficacy of a lifestyle intervention improvement program (My Unlimited Potential (myUP), among employees of a health care system in improving metabolic status as well as associated degree of vascular inflammation as measured by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Methods: The MyUP enrolled high risk individuals with at least 2 of the following cardio-metabolic risk factors, total cholesterol ≥ 200 mg/dl, systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg, hemoglobin A1C ≥ 6.5%, and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30. Improvement in cardio-metabolic risk was assessed by the change in number of metabolic risk components and C-reactive protein (CRP) from baseline to 12 week follow-up. Resu...