While executives often invest copious amounts of time into their companies, they have to make sure they are investing that same amount of time into their health, says Dr. Curtis Chastain, who sat down for Business Report’s “Strictly Business” webcast to share the benefits of health checkups for company executives.
Chastain, a health care leader in Baton Rouge, is the founder and director of the Lake Executive Wellness Program, which offers the executive protector exam, a comprehensive exam used to identify heart disease and cancer.
After completing more than 3,000 executive exams, Chastain says he noticed that executives are typically sleep deprived and invest most of their time and energy into their companies.
That’s all the more reason to have routine checkups to get an idea of where they stand healthwise, he says.
“If something bad happens to a CEO or one of their top performers in a company, the data shows it would cost about 212% of that person’s salary to replace them,” Chastain says. “It’s really imperative that executives find the same time that they invest in their company to invest in their own health.”
Chastain listed heart disease, cancer, accidents and dementia as conditions that can’t be predicted. However, heart disease and cancer can be spotted through a health assessment, which can be as simple as knowing your blood pressure.
Tests that need to be done to get an accurate health picture include comprehensive bloodwork, a chest X-ray and coronary calcium testing, according to Chastain.
A colonoscopy is the best screening test for cancer, Chastain says. The recommended age to get a colonoscopy is 45 and the doctor urged executives to be proactive about their health.
Schedules are important to executives, so Chastain urged them to block out time for regular exercise and other activities that will lead to better overall physical and mental health.
“Anything that you believe contributes to your health should be blocked out and scheduled during your week,” Chastain says. “Otherwise it’s not gonna get done. The key is to create balance. You test that, then you rebalance if necessary.”
