International Health Fund Introduces BAC Cares Statin Heart Disease Prevention Program
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death among Americans, with stroke close behind at number 5. Your risk depends on a number of factors including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking status, age, diabetes, family history, and whether you have already had a heart attack or stroke. Many people do not know they have high cholesterol because having it has no symptoms, but a simple blood test performed by your physician can check your levels during your annual physical exam.
When your body has too much cholesterol, it can build up on the walls of your blood vessels. This build-up is called “plaque.” As your blood vessels build up plaque over time, the insides of the vessels narrow. This narrowing blocks the blood flow to and from your heart and other organs. When blood flow to the heart is blocked, it can cause angina (chest pain) or a heart attack. When blood flow to the brain is blocked, it can cause a stroke.
By living a healthy lifestyle, you can help keep your cholesterol in a healthy range and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Taking your medications as prescribed is just as important as making healthy eating choices, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular physical activity. Additionally, smoking increases your risk for heart disease, so if you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, quitting will reduce your risk.
The most commonly prescribed medications to treat high cholesterol are called statins. Statins work by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by your liver and by helping your liver remove cholesterol that is already in your blood. Research shows that taking statins as prescribed may lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Statins can decrease cholesterol levels by up to 60% making them very important for the prevention of heart disease and stroke.
The BAC International Health Fund (IHF) knows that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and is focused on making prevention affordable for all. In a continuing effort to provide high-quality, cost-effective services, Sav-Rx and the BAC IHF will offer select statins at NO COST to members effective August 1, 2019. It may interest you to know that the following generic prescription statins will be available to you at no cost: Lovastatin, Simvastatin, and Pravastatin.
If you are interested in this benefit, we suggest that you discuss these options with your physician at your next visit. For more information, contact the BAC IHF at 1-888-880-8222.