CRAM focuses on coronary heart disease prevention

  • Published
  • By Maj. Courtney Finkbeiner
  • 66th Medical Group, Health Care Integrator
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  If we were given the option to take steps that would enhance our daily and future lives, the majority of us would not hesitate to do so.

It is estimated that one in three adult men and women has some form of Cardiovascular Disease, a class of diseases that involve the heart and blood vessels.

The lifetime risk for CVD is two in three for men and more than one in two for women at age 40. Since 1900, CVD has been the number one killer in the United States every year but 1918. Nearly 2,500 Americans die of CVD each day, an average of one death every 35 seconds. CVD claims more lives each year than the next four leading causes of death combined (cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, and diabetes mellitus). The estimated direct and indirect cost of CVD for 2006 is $403.1 billion.

In an effort to improve the early identification, care prioritization and management of ADAF personnel with elevated, but modifiable risk factors for developing Coronary Heart Disease, a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart, the Cardiovascular Risk Assessment and Management Project otherwise known as CRAM was designed. By calculating certain risk factors using a tool called the Framingham Risk Score, a person's likelihood of developing CHD within the next 10 years can be determined (assuming the risk factors remain the same).

Risk factors are conditions or habits that increase your chances of getting heart disease. Some you cannot do anything about such as family history or advancing age. Most you can do something about. These include smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, overweight/obesity, physical inactivity and diabetes.

Risk factors included in the CRAM Project calculations are blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol), whether a patient has Diabetes Mellitus and whether a patient smokes lit tobacco products. This data is useful to Primary Care Managers as it assists with devising programs and treatment plans that keep our Airmen "fit and ready." This data is also a useful supplement to the USAF Fitness Program when assessing cardiovascular status.

The 66th Medical Group has about 21 Airman, Soldiers who are in the moderate to high risk category for developing CHD. With continued education, medical intervention, involvement in physical and nutritional programs, the possibility of lowering that risk is great. Everyone is encouraged to contact their Primary Care Manager and the Health and Wellness Center to take advantage of the programs being offered to enhance our daily and future lives.

The Air Force Medical Service's greatest challenges are providing a healthy, "fit and ready" force and improving the health status of our enrolled population. The CRAM project is just one avenue that is available for assessing the status of our Active Duty population. An assessment will be completed on each person during their annual Physical Health Assessment.