Rob Rossiter, CEO of Fountain health insurance.
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CEOs and other top executives deal with a lot of daily stress and responsibility. Recent headlines have pointed to the negative health effects of leadership responsibilities. The Wall Street Journal bluntly stated: “One secret to a longer life: don’t become a CEO in a contested industry.” Alternatively, a Harvard Business School report titled “Dying to Lead: How Reaching the Top Can Kill You Soonerdetailed a study that found that top executives of a major US corporation (GE) died an average of three to five years earlier than lower-level employees due to their work-related stress.
As a result, many leaders are becoming more proactive about their health. In the same way they run their businesses, they take charge of their health and look for new and innovative ways to improve performance and halt illnesses and diseases before they become problematic.
Take control of your personal health
Here’s an example: A CEO patient came to our parent company for diagnostic testing a few years ago because of a family history of heart disease. While his heart health appeared to be good, the doctors discovered a thyroid condition that could have been fatal if left untreated. Waiting for symptoms to appear could have had serious consequences not only for his productivity, but also for his quality of life. The procedure was much easier to treat because the problem was detected early.
This CEO now has annual diagnostic tests and has even invested in insurance to give all his employees access to the same annual tests. He is one of a growing number of executives recognizing the importance of becoming CEO of their personal health – and giving their team access to do the same.
Cutting-edge, next-generation diagnostic tools, often combined with artificial intelligence (AI), provide a snapshot of a person’s health with detailed, in-depth accuracy, in real time. This allows executives to make proactive decisions so they can mitigate health risks and prevent a crisis such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes or even cancer, setting them up for good health, high performance and longevity.
I think there will be more medical breakthroughs in the next three years than in the last century combined. The convergence of healthcare innovations with AI, genomics and enhanced analytics has dramatically improved and changed medical diagnostics – and will continue to do so. For instance, 90% of heart disease can be avoided. Also a AI scan of the coronary artery can assess your current risk by identifying newer, soft plaque prone to rupture. This new risk assessment allows you to take steps early enough — big or small — to make a significant impact.
Finding a disease before it becomes a catastrophic event, rather than treating a disease after it has progressed, can make the difference between a treatable or dire medical problem. New precision diagnostics such as early detection tests for multiple cancers, whole-body and brain MRIs with AI, AI scans of the coronary arteries and continuous glucose monitoring make it possible to detect cancer, Alzheimer’s risk, heart disease, diabetes and more before they develop. This data-driven diagnostic revolution promises to shift healthcare from reactive (treating disease after it has been contracted) to proactive (identifying disease before it progresses).
Perform at your peak
In the way that healthy companies dramatically outperform their peersare healthy leaders more effective leaders and improve a company’s bottom line. Becoming the CEO of your health gives you the opportunity to look at your health in real time and make adjustments that not only benefit longevity, but can also improve performance and provide peace of mind that reduces stress.
To be the best leader you have to be in the best possible health. You owe it to your company, family and yourself to put yourself first and optimize your personal health so you can perform at your peak.
The information provided here is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should consult a qualified health care professional for advice on your specific situation.
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