Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes of sudden death in the workplace. The aging of the workforce and the consequences of past viral infections require employers to reconsider their approaches to prevention. During the webinar, Zaur Shugushev, Chief Cardiologist of the RZD-Medicine network, explains how to build an employee health monitoring system using the example of the country's largest transport holding.

Legal Framework and Combating Fake Medical Certificates

The speaker examines in detail the conflict between regulatory legal acts (RLA) and clinical guidelines. Today, it is the RLAs that are subject to state control and are mandatory for determining occupational fitness. This is critically important for occupational physicians making decisions on fitness for work.

One of the main problems in the industry remains the formal approach to medical examinations and the purchase of certificates. The presentation shows how the company encourages employees to undergo medical check-ups within the corporate medical network: refusal to undergo internal examinations can be grounds for limiting the voluntary health insurance (VHI) package. This ensures transparency of employee health data and allows identifying risks at early stages.

Risk Stratification and Incident Investigation

To prevent life-threatening conditions, a five-level case review system has been implemented. Any sudden death in the workplace (which is cardiac in 99.9% of cases) is investigated at the highest, fifth level. Using the example of profession ranking, the speaker shows how medical attention is distributed: the critical group (train drivers, track workers) is under special control, as their condition directly affects safety.

If a chronic disease is detected that prevents working in the first group, the employee is transferred to lighter work. However, the system provides routing for treatment and rehabilitation: with successful minimally invasive correction of the condition, the employee can return to their previous high-paying duties after a year of observation.

Age Milestones and Debunking Medical Myths

Special attention is paid to age risk groups: men over 40 and women over 50. The main problem doctors face is the absence of pain symptoms in the early stages of cardiovascular diseases. Employees refuse to take preventive therapy, relying on false beliefs and the fear of losing their jobs.

During the webinar, the speaker debunks popular myths, in particular about the harm of statins to the liver and the "10,000 steps" rule, proving the need for medical support for older employees based on clinical practice.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to legally separate the requirements of regulatory legal acts and clinical guidelines when granting fitness for work?
• What mechanism allows an employer to reduce the number of "purchased" medical certificates?
• How does the five-level system for investigating cases of sudden death in the workplace work?
• What is the algorithm of actions when a cardiovascular disease is detected in an employee of a critical profession?
• Why is preventive drug therapy more effective than lifestyle changes for employees over 40?